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BREAKING AND ENTERING Send This Review to a Friend
Written and directed by Anthony Minghella, “Breaking and Entering” deals with the fierce desire of a mother, Amira, a Bosnian refugee portrayed by Juliette Binoche with convincing accent to match, to protect her young son, Miro (Rafi Gavron), who has fallen into bad company and is involved in a robbery. There is also the relationship between Will (Jude Law), a landscape architect, and Amira, with whom he is captivated even though he has a live-in girlfriend, Liv (Robin Wright Penn).
Set in London, “Breaking and Entering” is laden with an urban atmosphere in which the lives of the various characters intersect. The film builds tension toward a point at which hard decisions must be made and Liv and Will must rise to the demands of the moment and the crises in their lives.
The intricate film was showcased at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and, now in commercial release, it deserves special attention as a multi-layered drama colorfully presented and extremely well acted. It seems somewhat diffuse at first, but as the plot unfolds the story deepens and eventually becomes quite moving,
Binoche’s performance is a particular revelation. The role of Amira is different than anything she has done previously and requires an earthy beauty rather than the more sophisticated elegance generally associated with her. She makes the character vulnerable, given to scheming when the need to protect her son arises, but also very human in her trying to balance practicality with her feelings.
Law is excellent as a man giving in to temptation while still hoping to hold on to his relationship, and Penn is intriguing as a conflicted woman who wants to do the right thing even if it embarrasses her, but also revolts against to be taken for granted and cheated on.
How all of these relationships evolve makes “Breaking and Entering” provocative and absorbing even if somewhat rambling. A Weinstein Company and Miramax Films release.
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