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Breaking and Entering By Harry Forbes Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- The presence of director Anthony Minghella favorites Jude Law ("Cold Mountain") and Juliette Binoche ("The English Patient") invites unfortunate comparisons with those superior films. Minghella's latest, "Breaking and Entering" (Weinstein), is a thematically worthy but only so-so drama set in London about Will (Law), an architect living with a Swedish-American divorcee, Liv (Robin Wright Penn), and her autistic 13-year-old daughter, Bea (Poppy Rogers). After the inner-city office he shares with his friend, Sandy (Martin Freeman), in the revitalized King's Cross district is repeatedly vandalized by a gang that includes troubled 15-year-old Bosnian Miro (Rafi Gavron), Will stands watch on his building -- improbably keeping platonic company with sardonic East European prostitute Oana (Vera Farmiga) -- until one night, when he catches the boy in the act. He surreptitiously follows the boy to the downscale apartment complex that he shares with Amira (Binoche), his widowed mother who works as a seamstress. Will strikes up an acquaintanceship with the boy's mother after pretending he needs her tailoring services. Before long, they commence an affair, with Will not revealing anything about his connection to her son. Later, when she learns the truth, she schemes to have herself photographed with him while he's sleeping in her bed, as she wrongly assumes he's only planning to turn her beloved son (whom she dreams of taking back to Sarajevo) over to the police, a peculiar plot twist that makes little logical sense given their seemingly deep emotional connection at this point. These events prompt Will on a journey of self-discovery to re-evaluate his life and relationships against the backdrop of the city's evolving cultural landscape. Minghella (who also wrote the screenplay) has assembled a quality cast, but interweaves his serious themes of immigration, motherhood (as sharply contrasted by the passionate Amira and too-cool Liv), and economic disparity into an only mildly compelling -- and, as noted, not very plausible -- plot, though the film's moral resolution involves a strong affirmation of forgiveness and reconciliation. The film contains some rough and crude language and profanity, upper female nudity, a prostitute character, a couple of nongraphic sexual encounters, some sexual banter, infidelity and a condom reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. - - - Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies. END Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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