Breaking and Entering

by Ari

 
Breaking and Entering is the newest feature film by Anthony Minghella, the director best known for his adaptations of The English Patient and Cold Mountain. This is the first original screenplay he’s written since his 1991 debut Truly Madly Deeply, and it’s arguably his most impressive and accomplished work to date. I’ve admired, but not necessarily enjoyed, most of Minghella’s previous films, never fully moved or enthralled by the stories he’s presented. The English Patient and Cold Mountain were both handsomely mounted, skillful productions that left me emotionally distant, and The Talented Mr. Ripley was a mostly suspenseful thriller aided greatly by the excellent performances of Matt Damon and Jude Law. With Breaking and Entering, Minghella demonstrates a comfort with his original material that seems to help him avoid many of the narrative pitfalls found in his adaptations, specifically the flawed work of his most recent effort, Cold Mountain. This small, contemporary drama allows him to focus on his characters first and foremost - creating real people with complicated lives. At its core, Breaking and Entering’s story of mid-life crisis, infidelity, and emotional “mending” (as one character puts it) is thoughtful and expressive, absorbing the viewer in the complex situations the characters face. And while the film is too long, relies on a few excessive occurrences for emotional impact, and ends on a questionable note, it still manages to engage with its excellent performances and interesting characters.

Will Francis (Jude Law) is an architect working on an ambitious new project in the less-than-stellar area of King’s Cross in London. He and his partner Sandy (Martin Freeman) open their new offices and celebrate the beginning of their new endeavor. At home, Will lives an increasingly troubled life with his Swedish-American girlfriend Liv (Robin Wright Penn), and her obsessive-compulsive daughter Bea (Poppy Rogers. Will and Liv are drifting apart, barely managing to keep their personal lives and love intact. At work, Will's new offices are burglarized by a couple of athletic young boys, the main one being a Bosnian teenager named Miro (Rafi Gavron), who lives with his single mother Amira (Juliette Binoche), a tailor in King’s Cross. The first half of the film deals with the burglaries, while showing the ups and downs of Will and Liv’s relationship. Will finally begins to flirt with the idea of an affair, looking everywhere for love but never receiving it, dismissing the one place where it truly exits: at home with his family. He decides to spend his evenings staking-out his offices, waiting to see if the criminals will strike again. This is where he meets a Russian prostitute played by the lovely and talented Vera Farmiga (a rising star), who he likes to have coffee and chat with. Interestingly enough, these few brief sequences are the best in the film. Their odd, sudden relationship is both funny and sweet, and Farmiga is given the film’s best lines and best moment.

Eventually Miro does return to burglarize the office once again (he steals electronic equipment), and Will is there to spot him. He chases after the boy, leading him to Juliette Binoche, who he immediately takes a liking to. The second half of the film deals with Will and Amira’s affair, Will’s crumbling life with Liv, and Will’s eventual redemption. The paths of the characters crisscross throughout the story, leading up to the big emotional climax. As previously stated, a good portion of the story is effective and moving, despite a few poor choices (the daughter’s accident being particularly needless) and a sometimes overly metaphorical tone that comes off as a bit artificial even if the intentions are good.

Jude Law reminds me once again why he’s one of the best actors working today. He has a charm and depth that makes it easy to invest in. Binoche and Penn are excellent as the lead women of the piece, both strong and honest performances for two complex roles. Minghella develops his themes about the complicated needs for emotional attachment and comfort fairly well, structuring an intelligent and adult work that holds together much better than his previous efforts. Considering it’s February and there’s hardly anything interesting in theaters, Breaking and Entering is a pleasant surprise.