Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

Broken Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 11, 2013

Winner of Best British Independent Film and Best Supporting Actor Awards at the British Independent Film Awards, Rufus Norris' "Broken" (2012) arrives on Blu-ray ocurtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; large collection of interviews with director Rufus Norris, producer Dixie Linder, writer Daniel Clay, and cast members; and Q&A session featuring Eloise Laurence and director Rufus Norris. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"I just want your goodness..."

The film follows closely the members of three different families living in a working-class suburb somewhere in north London. In its surprisingly brutal prologue we meet a few of them: Skunk (Eloise Laurence), a lonely 11-year-old girl, Rick (Robert Emms, Anonymous), a young and very shy man, and Bob (Rory Kinnear, Skyfall), the widowed father of three rather wild girls. Skunk witnesses how Bob beats up Rick next to his car.

After the police arrive and Rick is arrested because he is accused of raping one of Bob’s girls, we meet more members of the three families. They are introduced in short episodes, some of which overlap. Skunk’s father, Archie (Tim Roth, The Liability), is a small-time lawyer who loves his daughter but never seems to have enough time for her. This is why Archie has hired the young, beautiful and single Kasia (Zana Marjanovic, In the Land of Blood and Honey) to keep an eye on Skunk and keep the house in order. Kasia likes her job, but she also likes Mike (Cillian Murphy, The Wind That Shakes the Barley), one of Skunk’s schoolteachers, who often visits Archie’s house. Mike is in love with Kasia but is unsure if he is ready to make the crucial move that will transform his relationship with Kasia into something more serious. Jed (Bill Milner), Skunk’s brother, isn’t in love because he hasn’t found the right girl yet, though one of Bob’s girls has the potential to get him in trouble.

Life in the neighborhood becomes very tense when Rick is released because a doctor confirms that Bob’s allegedly raped daughter is still a virgin. His parents welcome him home, but an overreaction unleashes a series of tragic events that change everything.

Rufus Norris’ Broken is so brilliantly scripted and acted that even if the different episodes in it are completely rearranged it will still be a very effective film. Some of the transitions between these episodes remind of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 21 Grams, but the atmosphere is in fact closer to that many of Mike Leigh’s best films have.

Most of the key events are seen through Skunk’s eyes, but the film is structured in a way that actually allows us to pick a favorite character and evaluate them from his point of view. Norris also frequently goes back in time to show us why these characters make certain decisions and how they impact the lives of the people around them. Unsurprisingly, the entire film feels like a giant, very well organized puzzle.

The tone and mood of the film also constantly evolve. Most recent similarly-themed British films tend to be quite bleak and depressing, but in Broken there is plenty of humor and hope. Relationships are frequently tested and there are tragic events, but just like in real life there are also brighter days for everyone.

The cast is sensational. Laurence is so relaxed in front of the camera that it is almost impossible to believe that she has never before appeared in a feature film. Roth, undoubtedly one of the best British actors of his generation, is also outstanding as the overworked father. (And what a treat it is to see him playing a good character). Murphy and Marjanovic are also enormously convincing. Emms time in front of the camera is limited, but his performance is one of the best in the film.

Broken was shot with a very small budget. In fact, Norris and his team apparently shot on film that was about to expire in order to save as much as possible.

The film’s light and airy soundtrack was created by by Electric Wave Bureau, which was founded by musical director Mike Smith, artists Nelson De Freitas and Suzi Winstanley, and singer/keyboardist Damon Albarn from Blur.

Broken Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rufus Norris' Broken arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

Broken was shot on 35mm before it was ran through DCP for digital distribution. However, the filmmakers had such a small budget to operate with that they apparently shot on film that was about to expire in order to save as much as possible. The prominent use of natural light - with the low noise from the indoor footage left as is - also suggests that there were other technical limitations. As a result, the film has a raw but consistently subdued look where both light and shadow are frequently either overexposed or underexposed. Naturally, the daylight footage looks quite good - detail and clarity are very pleasing. However, during the nighttime and indoor footage clarity and especially contrast levels often fluctuate. Unsurprisingly, select sequences look somewhat softer, while other sequences have overexposed low noise (compare screencaptures # 1, 2 and 5). Colors are also warm and soft, but always having strong organic qualities. Many of these inconsistencies also have plenty to do with the style of the film and specifically the manner in which it was lensed by cinematographer Rob Hardy. (Mr. Hardy's collaboration with James Marsh on Shadow Dancer produced fairly similar results). There are no serious stability issues to report in this review. When projected, the film remains tight around the edges and flicker never destabilizes the image. There are no serious compression issues, but there are a few areas where I feel that minor improvements could be made. To sum it all up, this is a faithful presentation of Broken which should please its fans. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Broken Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, StudioCanal have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

Broken is complimented by a light and very beautiful soundtrack by Electric Wave Bureau, which was founded by musical director Mike Smith, artists Nelson De Freitas and Suzi Winstanley, and singer/keyboardist Damon Albarn from Blur. The lossless 5.1 track allows many of the delicate tunes to truly impress - the sound is lush and always well rounded. There is no impressive surround movement as Broken is primarily a dialog-driven feature. However, overall dynamic movement is indeed very good. There are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts or distortions to report in this review.

Broken Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interviews - a massive collection of interviews with director Rufus Norris, producer Dixie Linder, writer Daniel Clay, and cast members. Each interviewee discusses the production history of the film, the script for the film, the unique relationships between the different characters and dilemmas they face, the style and atmosphere of the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (88 min).
  
  1. Director Rufus Norris
  2. Tim Roth
  3. Eloise Laurence
  4. Cillian Murphy
  5. Bill Milner
  6. Robert Emms
  7. Rory Kinnear
  8. Denis Lawson
  9. Clare Burt
  10. Zana Marjanovic
  11. Producer Dixie LInder
  12. Writer Daniel Clay

• Q&A at Hackney Picture House - Q&A session featuring Eloise Laurence and director Rufus Norris. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Broken. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Broken Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Broken is the best directorial debut I've seen in years. I loved every single minute of it. Indeed, its success at the British Independent Film Awards is well deserved. If you reside in the United Kingdom, I urge you to add StudioCanal's Blu-ray release to your collections. If you reside in North America, check your local theater's listings and go see this film. I guarantee you will like like it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.