The Broken Circle Breakdown-2012

Director Felix Van Groeningen

Starring Veerle Baetens, Johan Heldenbergh

Scott’s Review #91

Reviewed July 3, 2014

Grade: B+

The Broken Circle Breakdown is a 2012 Belgian film nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar.

It tells a dark story of a couple with very different religious beliefs- one atheist, the other a devout catholic- whose six-year-old daughter is battling cancer.

Their differences escalate over time as life circumstances change.

The film begins in 2006 but constantly goes back and forth in time from when the couple meets and falls in love and begins performing in a bluegrass band together to their current dire situation in the present.

This is a clever aspect of the film.

It is far from a by-the-numbers happy-couple-with-sick-daughter type of film. It is much deeper than that and quite depressing and dreary overall.

The pain and hardships this family goes through are heart-wrenching, especially as the film focuses on the happy time in their lives to contrast the pain.

In the second half, the film explores politics and religion, including the then-controversial (2002) topic of stem cell research.

As dark as this film is to watch, it is also important because it steps outside the box and tackles difficult subject matter.

I wish more films would do the same.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film