Review of Breaking and Entering (2006) by Mark A — 01 Jan 2009

Difficult to boil this one down to just a few lines. A complex story about a man torn between two very different women and their flawed children. A series of burglaries leads Will (Jude Law) to the Bosnian refuge, Amira (the ever-lovely Juliette Binoche) and her son, Miro (Rafi Gavron), a small-time hood destined for a dust-up with the law.

Meanwhile, at home, his live-in girlfriend, Liv (Robin Wright Penn), struggles to provide a stable home for her child who exhibits symptoms of OCD, or possibly autism. The acting is, on every level, superb.

The story is compelling and the emotional journey of each of the characters is heart-wrenchingly engaging. A name to watch for in Poppy Rogers as Liv's daughter, Bea. This viewer was captivated from start to finish.

Credit the acting, but the director deserves a mention as he was able to bring out, or to make room for, the talent of the cast and to mold the film into a coherent whole. Add Juliette Binoche to my list of favorite actors.

She is superb in another east european role (see also The Incredible Lightness of Being). The acting tandem along with Ms Wright-Penn was like fire and ice. A terrific film.