Directed By Abi Damaris Corbin

Starring – John Boyega, Michael K. Williams, Nicole Beharie

The Plot – When Marine Veteran Brian Brown-Easley (Boyega) is denied support from Veterans Affairs, financially desperate and running out of options, he takes a bank and several of its employees’ hostage, setting the stage for a tense confrontation with the police. Based on the true story.

Rated PG-13 for some violent content, and strong adult language

BREAKING | Official Trailer | Bleecker Street – YouTube

POSITIVES

Motivations for bank heists in any film are a dime a dozen but establishing a veteran’s perspective in this true story narrative helps to unlock a captivating psychology, all the while illustrating a few sociological observations in commentary that help to add to the cause. Because of such, “Breaking” not only takes us through the crude treatment of veterans when they return home, specifically in the benefits that each of them is entitled to but rarely see in full, but also in the way that society views these heroes, with a brush of unimportant ignorance that fuels the fire. This doesn’t necessarily make Brian a flawless protagonist, but it does vividly illustrate his dreaded disposition that would make him seek out such desperate situations, all the while outlining the ironies and absurdities in a country who takes advantage of the many freedoms that these men and women continuously put their lives on the line for. Beyond that impactful substance, the film is also acted exceptionally, with the trio of Boyega, Williams, and Beharie conjuring a series of combustible elements inside of this tensely taut narrative. Beharie is the true eye-opener, prescribing a triggered depth in emotional resonance that articulates the humanity held continuously in the balance, all the while magnifying an intelligence for resolution that is often overlooked in a victim’s perspective in these films. Williams also commands a gentle warmth to what is unfortunately his final role (He passed last September), serving as the conscience for many of Brian’s actions, and in turn etching out a heartfelt dynamic between them that serves as the perfect balance to the scenes of rich anxiousness that Corbin crafts so superbly. However, Boyega takes it to a whole other level with a darkness and devastation that we coherently interpret in a single look but magnified intensely with several angering releases in execution. Boyega’s visual familiarity is still there, but he wholeheartedly loses himself to the commitment of this role, in turn churning out his single best performance to date that takes him to places I didn’t think he was capable of, with a turn that should warrant academy acclaim at the very least. Beyond this, the aforementioned direction from second time director Corbin is a scintillating sting that continuously fleshes out the urgency and vulnerability of the situation, with many tight-knit and claustrophobic angles from cinematographer Doug Emmett illustrating an inescapable inevitability within the elements contained under one roof, and the versatility of the film’s experimental sound design constructs immersive tendencies to Brian’s own bleak situation, giving us a first-person perspective at the many careless reactions and endless circles that he finds himself plagued by.

NEGATIVES

The biggest problem that I have with the film is also its most ambitious aspect, juggling a dual narrative between current day reality in the bank and flashbacks to his time as a soldier, that never capably and successfully mold into one cohesive aspect. The flashbacks are certainly there, but they’re used so rarely that they never fully constitute the use of their opportunity, and with the decision of intention-heavy dialogue spelling out everything for the audience instead of allowing us to live it out with Brian during the moments he endures them, there’s an unintentional disconnect to the conflict that doesn’t fully measure the abundance of injustice or ensuing stakes that hang in the balance of his bleak and dreaded disposition. For my money, I could’ve used more time in the past, even if that padded out the movie’s run time to the near two-hour mark, in turn offering us momentary escape from the overwhelming situation at the forefront of the narrative. In addition to this, I found the pacing inconsistent, primarily during the late second act, which stalls a little longer than I felt necessary. This is the aspect where I feel some more flashbacks could’ve elicited greater meaning to the egregious downtime, but instead it doesn’t evolve the story as swiftly or consistently as the sum of parts surrounding it, in turn feeling like the glaring weakness of the film between its three-act structure. Finally, while the ending is grippingly intense and full of moving sentiment, the editing during these moments slightly mar the clarity of the depiction, leaving the impact a bit underwhelming during the moments it requires antithesis the most. To me, it feels like Corbin and production were trying to depict matters as tastefully as possible, but in turn they undercut the momentum with a climax that feels generically safe, with actions of secondary characters that bring forth more questions in logic the longer I think about it.

OVERALL
“Breaking” isn’t as much “Dog Day Afternoon” as it is “Falling Down”, thanks in part to a sociological conflict to soldiers that is anything but fictional. With a gut-wrenching and riveting turn from Boyega, as well as cunning direction from Corbin that zeroes in on the urgency and vulnerability of the situation, the film is entertaining and insightful, even if the magnitude of its story occasionally discharges tension during the moments that matter the most.

My Grade: 7/10 or B