Broken (2012)

In Broken, a slice-of-life drama set in London’s working-class suburbs, things aren’t always what they seem. We think we have a handle on what’s happening, and why. But then a little more information is revealed, and that changes our entire perspective, almost magically.  

At the outset, the camera follows 12-year old “Skunk,” a precocious, eager girl on her meandering walk home from school. When she finally arrives at her cul-de-sac, she chats briefly with an awkward, older neighbor boy called Rick (Robert Emms; War Horse, Anonymous), who’s washing a car in his driveway (Rick may exist somewhere on the Autism scale).

After, she goes inside and witnesses something from her bedroom window which sets the rest of the film in motion.

Skunk is diabetic, often checking her blood levels to make sure they’re safe. She lives with her attorney dad Archie (Tarantino staple Tim Roth, looking a bit like Elvis Costello, in a quietly noble performance), older brother Jed (Bill Milner; X-Men: First Class), and their au pair Kasia (Zana Marjanovic). Their mother left for another man, so the family’s left to soldier on without her. Archie’s often busy studying work papers, but he’s also warm, nurturing and generous with his children. Their bond is obvious.

Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Perrier’s Bounty, the Dark Knight) plays Kasia’s boyfriend Mike, who also happens to be Skunk’s school teacher. He admires Skunk, recognizing she’s an exceptional kid in many ways.

They’re a likeable group, this lot. Smart, funny, amiable and caring towards one another.

In sharp contrast is neighbor Bob Oswald (Rory Kinnear; Quantum of Solace, Skyfall), and his three delinquent daughters. Bob’s wife died (we’re not told how), and the poor family’s never recovered. The Oswald’s don’t smile (and mostly sneer), look cheap and well worn, talk tough, and act tougher. The worst is the youngest, the ironically-named Sunrise (Martha Bryant). She’s a classic bully, her foul-mouthed terror packed into a 4-foot frame. At school she extorts lunch money, promising violent retribution from big sister if classmates (Skunk among them) don’t pay up. Like the rest of her family she’s tough as bricks. But for the Oswalds, the neighborhood would be quiet, charming and pleasant. But they’re ticking time bombs, who can’t seem to help but cause trouble.

Rick (the car-washing boy from the beginning) is sent to a mental facility for treatment, while his parents fret and hope for improvement. Kasia grows impatient with Mike’s inability to commit more profoundly to their relationship. Skunk acquiesces to the crush of a brash neighborhood kid, while Jed takes an unwholesome interest in one of the Oswald girls.

All of this may sound fairly standard, but the way first-time director Rufus Norris (known prior for his work in theater) blends the characters’ stories is effortless and natural. I was reminded of John Sayles’ City of Hope and Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. What actually happens isn’t so much the point; it’s how all the characters interact, and how their stories intersect, that makes the movie compelling.

Norris also does an admirable job of bringing depth to each of the characters, rather than leaving them as one-dimensional archetypes. His direction isn’t flashy. There aren’t any wacky lighting tricks, or strange camera angles. Broken just feels uncluttered and honest.

The performances (especially the kids’!) are uniformly pitch perfect. As Skunk, newcomer Eloise Laurence is bright-faced, charming, intelligent and effervescent. She has an unusual energy and gleam in her eye. Like Mike we, too, believe she’s unique. The three Oswald girls radiate menace and trouble. They’re mean as snakes. Emms’ “Rick” is innocent to a fault, child-like fear pouring from his eyes. As Archie, Roth projects a calm, steadying, mature confidence throughout. Murphy alternates between sweet and gentle kindness, and the confused immaturity of a man in his early 30s, who’s resisting full adulthood.

Based on the novel by Daniel Clay, Broken is so good, it caught me off guard. Sure, it’s probably more of a fable than an accurate picture of real life, but couldn’t the same be said of the Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, or Downton Abbey? As with those shows, I admired and enjoyed these characters so much, I never even had any minor disbelief to suspend. Broken is buoyant, optimistic, funny, touching and life affirming. It far outstripped my expectations, which rarely happens at the movies nowadays. Like Skunk, it’s special.