Broken

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Cast & Crew

Tim Roth
Archie

Eloise Laurence
Skunk

Cillian Murphy
Mike Kiernan

Rory Kinnear
Bob Oswald

Robert Emms
Rick Buckley

Bill Milner
Jed

Zana Marjanovic
Kasia

Faye Daveney
Saskia

Rufus Norris
Director

Mark O'Rowe
Screenwriter

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Critic Reviews for Broken

Audience Reviews for Broken

• Aug 11, 2014

  An eleven-year-old girl comes of age against the violent backdrop of her neighborhood. Director Rufus Norris resorts to some cheap tricks with non-sequential narration, but the central story is pretty good. After violence erupts in her neighborhood, Skunk, wonderfully played by Eloise Laurence, wonders why adults behave with such cruelty, and her father seems to have as much understanding as she does. At its core, Broken is about violence and dread and the mystery of cruelty and prejudice. These are interesting themes, and while they're not fully realized, the film remains basically compelling. Overall, this isn't a bad film, but Norris's gimmicks wore on me, especially after he went to the same bag of tricks for the third time.
  Jim H Super Reviewer
• Mar 07, 2014

  This is a pretty damn good coming-of-age film with some top-notch performances, great cinematography. The main problem, however, is the incredibly melodramatic last act of the film, especially when it really didn't need to be as I was already invested in the characters and the story, and the fact that the film got so dramatic at the end there really took away from what had been a great movie until that point. Yes, there's a lot of symbolism in the last 10 minutes of the film but it could've beem done in a way that wasn't as emotionally exploitative as it was. Even with that I appreciated how everything in the film seemed to play a part in the ending. I don't think any scene is wasted or used for purposes that don't benefit the climax of the film, so I'm glad the film was so focused on its story. I liked the chemistry between the cast, it felt real and organic rather than rigid and heavily scripted. That works wonders when you're trying to tell this type of story and I think the kid actors, in particular Eloise Laurence, the lead actress, really benefited from that chemistry as it made them more outgoing and genuinely feel like they were a family. The writing is solid and the story, if not particularly unique, is still well-told with a great cast to certainly help elevate that story. I was a bit disappointed with the melodrama in the third act, particularly when the film had been so great without it, but this is still a damn good movie and definitely worth giving a shot to if you have Netflix.
  Jesse O Super Reviewer
• Sep 27, 2013

  The main headline of this film is Eloise Laurence. What a magnificent actress. Her portrayal of Skunk is unparalleled, it's amongst one of the best child performances I've ever seen. This film being a 'coming of age tale,' Laurence really does show a progression in Skunk's behaviour, encapsulating the raw emotion, and loss of innocence that teenagers feel when they enter adulthood. And we haven't even mentioned the other actors yet. Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy, Rory Kinnear and Robert Emms, only four of the other actors who do magnificent portrayals of their characters. Rottentomatoes calls this a Documentary, and Special Interest film, but really, it's not. Being Rufus Norris's first film, I wasn't sure going into it how good it was going to be. At times, the shots can be grainy (as many amateur filmmakers know, low light videography often yields grainy shots), but that's a minor offset to the beautiful told story, and the magnificent performances. I hadn't heard of "Broken" until it was advertised at CIFF, where I saw it, but it's a hidden gem. If you have the chance this year to see this film, do it. You'll have no regrets about it. It's a bittersweet, heartwarming tale of the realities of growing up; sex, friends, violence, and most importantly, first loves.
  Anthony L Super Reviewer
• Jul 27, 2013

  The story of events going on in a neighborhood is a bit engaging, but considering the overall experience the flick offers, IMO, it's mediocre at best.
  familiar s Super Reviewer

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