Breaking movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Breaking

This dramatic thriller movie was released in theaters on August 26, 2022, and is now available to stream online.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 43 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

A Marine war veteran faces mental and emotional challenges when he tries to reintegrate back into civilian life.

This crisis drama was written and directed by Abi Damaris Corbin with writing help from Kwame Kwei-Armah. The movie is based on a true story.

THINGS I LIKED:

John Boyega gives his best performance yet. I’m impressed. Truly outstanding. I’ve even heard him called “Discount Denzel.” He was that good. He even looks a bit like Denzel in this movie. He has already won the “Best Actor” award at the Annapolis Film Festival this year. Congratulations to him on an excellent job acting and producing the movie.
Nicole Beharie and Selenis Leyva give solid performances in their roles too. The cast won “Best Ensemble Cast” at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
It’s always great to see Jeffrey Donovan, even if it’s in a small role. I loved him in the fun TV show “The Burn Notice”. I think he’s such an underrated actor and I wish he got more starring roles in feature films.
Sadly, this was the final appearance of Emmy-nominated actor and producer Michael Kenneth Williams. He did last year at only age 54.
I love it when titles have multiple meanings. In the case of this movie, the vet is breaking, society is breaking, and all of it is covered by breaking news.
We get to see a picture of the real Brian and his daughter at the end of the movie. I always love it when movies based on true stories allow us to see photos or video footage of the real people the film is based on.
The film jumps right into the events of the robbery at the beginning and, slowly, as the movie progresses, we see flashbacks of past conversations between Brian and his daughter.
The pacing and camerawork create tension very well throughout the film.
I hope this cautionary tale will prevent more incidents like this. Our veterans deserve everything we can possibly give them for their sacrifices while serving our country. One of my sons is in the military, so this story really hit home for me.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

There aren’t any humorous lines; it’s a very serious drama. There are, however, humorous moments such as when John Boyega’s character starts screaming about his demands and then gently asks the women in the bank if any of them need to use the restroom.
It’s super frustrating to watch how our government treats our veterans and wraps them in red tape. I’ve seen this happen to my step-father, who was a Marine, many times. It’s infuriating.