Breaking and Entering

Unfortunately, the desire to find love in burning passion clashes with the impenetrability of the grey concrete walls of the outskirts of the city on the Thames, which seem to wish no one happiness, and not only in love. Minghella pulls out a lot of truths about what love without hope can be like from ordinary dialogue, and yet there’s an incredibly captivating charm that struggles to break through the shallow backdrop of an industrial neighborhood full of Albanian immigrants. For two hours I was honestly piecing together the pieces of feelings, which only fully coalesced during the end credits. So much so that I’m willing to forget the unreliable testimony at the disciplinary hearing. (28/10/2007)

The door wide open to truth and treacherous mirror set to distorted and therefore more painful realities. Happiness is damn unpredictable thing and when it drags you unexpectedly in a different direction, it doesn't mean that the blissful feeling will stay with you forever. Minghella returns to current issues after some time and takes on a big challenge, because combining emotionally complicated family drama with ethnic problems and the state of contemporary London is an almost superhuman task. Over time, though, he got me with his cold approach. This is not a thrilling adventure from Africa, where every memory burns, nor an adventurous war odyssey, as I was used to in his usual grandeur. This is about the present, about the true scent of life, without embellishments, without apologies. And that is the strength. In realizing absolute despair, shared with the main characters. Maybe I am even sorry that the director this time is not as sovereign, unable to lead the viewer into every corner and captivate them there. In addition, the emotional scenes, in which Juliette Binoche takes the lead, did not sit well with me, and her final pleas to Will left me cold. But as soon as Jude Law started speaking at the end about not being able to be honest anymore and perhaps that's why he likes metaphors so much, at that moment it all became very personal again. (06/09/2007)

A few of my favorite users have given 5 stars to this with such positive comments as if they had just learned about the establishment of eternal world peace or the eradication of hunger in the Third World and a universal cancer cure at the same time. I will be considerably more sober and include uncompromising condemnation. For me, Breaking and Entering is kitsch intended for festival audiences. Untrustworthy behavior, poor dialogues, and bizarre characters like prostitutes portrayed by Vera Farmiga. I already had a big problem with The English Patient, the flagship of Anthony Minghella's directorial work, and now I have just confirmed that I do not get Minghella's vision of the world and artistic creation. One star is for Jude Law and Juliette Binoche, the second for the rest of the cast. However, I have to take away the remaining stars this time due to the screenplay and the dialogue originating from it. The aforementioned actors are likable, but with some of the phrases that came out of their mouths, I had the temptation to kick them in the groin in places where the screenwriter thought I would cheer. Overall impression: 40%. (18/11/2012)

Anthony Minghella was always skillful with the actors, just like in situational scenes where you think that exactly this or that has happened to you in life and you have reacted in the same way. Breaking and Entering primarily aims to remind us of the power of a long-term relationship, true partnership, cohabitation, and the solving of more or less trivial problems that accompany a person every day. The emphasis on core values ​​is clearly evident, with alternative deviations serving more as a spice to the story (thieves, prostitutes, etc.). Intelligent, with strong dialogues, and brilliantly acted. Perhaps the only thing missing is a generous set design and beautiful music, to which we were accustomed with the master. Well, industrial London is a bit of a different cup of tea. (20/02/2014)

Rich white folks solve their rich white problems by being generous to undisciplined immigrants. I can see where today's progressives see this as a problem. A movie that shits marble. (05/05/2020)