Directed by
Anthony Minghella
119 minutes
Rated M
Reviewed by
Sharon Hurst
Breaking And Entering
Synopsis: Will (Jude Law) is a London architect running a firm specialising in urban regeneration. When he relocates his office to the rough end of town it is repeatedly broken into and the new computers stolen. Will tracks down the young thief Miro (Rafi Gavron) and strikes up a friendship with the boy’s immigrant Bosnian mother Amira (Juliette Binoche). Will’s own relationship with Liv (Robyn Penn Wright) is sorely strained, what with the stress of them caring for Liv’s troubled daughter. Will makes some rather interesting choices, which lead him to confront many aspects of himself.The film’s title gives a clue to its intent, which seems to be a multi-faceted approach to the core concept. Everyone in the film is in some way, either literally or emotionally, breaking and entering into someone else’s life. Even if you don’t bother analyzing the implications of the title, this film strikes you from the outset as an intense and authentic look at modern life and relationships, dense with real-life conversations, real emotions and little sensationalism.
Writer/director Minghella worked some elements of his life experience into the story. After suffering 13 burglaries in his own offices he started speculating on crimes, perpetrators, victims, guilt, innocence, and the ways of stealing thing other than possessions from people, such as their hearts.
The contrast between yuppie “have” and immigrant “have not” Londoners is well-drawn, with Will and Liv’s stylish life in trendy north London being the inverse of the gloomy immigrant experience of Amira and Miro living in housing projects. However the fact that Will is moving his slick architectural practice to the traditionally seedy area of King’s Cross is also highly significant, signalling the process of gentrification which will arouse resentment from its less privileged residents. Hence, one can almost sympathise with the thieves motives.
The acting is deeply impressive. Law draws on deep wells of emotion, Binoche is superbly-convincing in her Bosnian persona while Wright Penn is, as always, impressive. Ray Winstone is notable in his smaller role as the local empathetic policeman investigating the break-ins, while young Gavron impresses in his debut. Martin Freeman is strong as Will’s partner, Sandy, and Vera Farmiga is engaging as a prostitute who keeps hopping uninvited into Will’s car.
After all the wonderful emotion and good dialogue there is however a slightly too neat, and perhaps hard to believe denouement. If life actually did sort itself out so easily there’d be far fewer break-ups, and more reformed juvenile delinquents. Despite this though, it’s great to see such a solid film with real people giving us much to mull over.
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