Film Reviews

The Broken

• Rating:
• Director: Sean Ellis
• Starring: Richard Jenkins
• Details: UK/ TBC / (15A)

Promising British director Sean Ellis switches gears into creepy mode for this atmospheric, but deeply flawed thriller. It centres on the happy and successful Gina (Leadly), who after seeing someone who looks exactly like her on the street, is then involved in a car accident that leaves her suffering from short term memory loss. Soon, a strong sense that all is not right descends; as she begins to suspect that her boyfriend isn't who he says he is, while her immediate family also appear to be in pending peril. Working from his own script, Ellis knows exactly how to throw an audience off balance. Tension is built gradually, using an intrusive, slow burning score, while every camera angle hints at a sense of the foreboding. He has surprising assurance for such a young helmer, leaving the camera to focus on Headley's face, as she struggles to comprehend just what is happening to her, and is never tempted to rush proceedings to his eventual twist conclusion. Sadly, the script, although based around a good idea, never really grasps what is taking place, and this in turn leaves a giant question mark over some of the films more noteworthy occurrences. Productions of this ilk hardly require drawn out explanations as to what exactly is happening, but to have even a hint of a reason as to why/how this is all taking place would surely have resulted in a more well rounded thriller. Leadley is convincing in a role that may be five years or so too young for her (a doctor remarks in one scene that she's 28), portraying inherent confusion applicably. But, having what would appear to be on paper an ensemble piece, turn into a one woman show leaves the likes of recent Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins grasping at straws to give his character function. One or two sequences, particularly a homage to Psycho (there is an inexplicably large amount of bathing) work wonderfully, but overall the film never gels the way it should, while the ending wont exactly shock you the way it was obviously intended.

Review by Mike Sheridan