Broken - 2012 - Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy.

Accomplished debut, even with a poor script.

Making the move from theatre to feature, Rufus Norris gives us Broken, a drama film centred around a young diabetic girl named Skunk (Eloise Laurence) and her father, Archie (Tim Roth). On starting a new school year, everything seems to be going wrong for Skunk as she gets bullied, looses her boyfriend and favourite teacher and struggles to cope with her dad's new relationship.

Amazingly, this film does very well to place moments of happiness and joy in with the truly disturbing issues depicted throughout the film. Damon Albarn's soothing, indie music goes hand-in-hand with the joy of Skunk when she is hiding out in her 'lair', yet adds meaning to the moments of despair. With the dark content that has been explored, there are stand out performances from 13 year-old Eloise Laurence and the phenomenal Tim Roth. Cillian Murphy is also on good form, steering away from the villain to play Skunk's favourite teacher who is in the middle of a break-up and is also being accused of having sex with a minor. Norris does well to highlight these disturbing subjects whilst not offending the audience. 

The main issue with this film is the script by Mark O'Rowe. Adapted from a 2008 book by Daniel Clay, the film, only 90 minutes long, concentrates on too many characters, with too many separate stories. The characters involved seem to be fighting for attention, each trying to top one another with whose life is the worst. Unsure of whether this is completely down to the script, or a combination of script and first time director.

A solid directorial debut. Great cast, great ending.

J.Henderson.

7/10. 

Tomorrows review, Broken - 2012 - Tim Roth

Zero Dark Thirty - 2012 - Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke.

A true thriller.

After the 9/11 terror attack in 2001, Osama Bin Laden had been named Most Wanted by the CIA. In the course of the next decade, intelligence analyst Maya (Jessica Chastain) attempts to track down a courier who she believes to be Bin Laden's right-hand man, a man who could possibly lead the CIA to their goal. In 2011, Maya believes she has not only found the courier, but also Bin Laden. 

Bigelow and Boal have again team up, after the brilliant modern day war epic The Hurt Locker, and have presented us with "the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man" - as it has been dubbed. However, in parts, I feel the film is over dramatized, in particular Jessica Chastain's character, Maya. Although Chastain, yet again, gives a tremendous performance, at times the character is just overly dramatic and unbelievable. Before the death of Bin Laden in May 2011, Bigelow and Boal were working on a film which would highlight the struggle that the US have faced in their attempt to capture the founder of al-Qaeda. Once his death was announced, they soon realised they needed to start again, and, as such, have a central figure. Maya is presented, at the start of the film, fairly tame and quiet, yet as the film progresses she quickly develops into the grand heroine who hounds her superiors in order to keep the hunt for Bin Laden alive when nobody else seems to care. The tipping point of complete farcical dramatization was during Maya's face-to-face meeting with White House aide (James Gandolfini), who she needs on her side in order to be able to act on her intel of Bin Laden's whereabouts. When asked who she was by Gandolfini, she replies, "I'm the mother f***er who found this place, sir". Get real. 

Believe it or not, these horribly cring-worthy parts of the script didn't too badly effect the performance given by Chastain. At times, her ruthlessness in the face of her superiors maintained the pace in the story, making a two and a half hour film fly by. I further respect Bigelow for her depiction of torture following the 9/11 attacks. Instead of covering up any immoral act from US officials, Bigelow confronted them head on, something which has since caused some controversy in the US, especially with those (namely Naomi Wolf) who feel that torture should always be depicted as ineffective and immoral. 

For me, Zero Dark Thirty is only worthy of its Oscar nominations due to the final third of the film. The operation put in place on the 'fortress' (as Mark Duplass' character calls it) where Bin Laden is hiding out is a superb and thrilling piece of film-making. Tensions are visibly high, in one shot, the heavy breathing of one of the Navy SEALs is highlighted. Although a small touch by the director, it all adds to the gripping nature of the final scenes in the film.

Zero Dark Thirty definitely simplifies the operation that was put in place to capture and kill Osama Bin Laden, but, for the most part, it works. 

J.Henderson.

7/10.