Weekly Review -- I against I

The Broken (2008) -- There are not too many films that can shock, scare or even unnerve viewers nowadays. Considering the world that we live in, it is no wonder that many are on the cusp of being desensitized, moving forward in a jaded state of neutrality while texting their bleary eyes out.

Consider then Sean Ellis's The Broken as a film that can turn your perspective on life upside down. Dark, ominous and haunting, it is a fascinating genre piece, as well as a thoughtful and intriguing identity study.

London radiologist Gina McVey (Lena Headey) is attending her father John's (Richard Jenkins) birthday party. During dinner, a mirror shatters, prompting obligatory 'seven years of bad luck' jokes. Soon afterward, Gina sees a woman driving by, one whose resemblance to Gina goes beyond passing. Stunned by her apparent doppelgänger and witnessing other oddities occurring, Gina needs to unravel the mystery as soon as possible...

One of the most striking aspects of The Broken is its aesthetics. Angus Hudson's gorgeous cinematography utilizes monochromes to their full effect, inserting merely a sliver of color here and there. This London is not for the faint of heart. It is an alienating dystopia where strangers remain strangers, streets are barren and steely blues alternate into merciless greys. The visuals tie in seamlessly with the themes of fear and desolation, letting us in yet keeping us out, pulling us in while allowing us to doubt if we want to get too close. Hudson and Ellis play with our perceptions of reality like few director-cinematographer teams do, constantly surprising us and making us guess as to what upheaval is coming up next.

With its stark visuals and timely themes, The Broken is reminiscent of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2001 techno warning Pulse, which laid bare the cold core of technology and its isolating impact on human beings. Contrary to Kurosawa, Ellis uses the urban atmosphere to equate modern city living with limits of identity. When it comes to inhabiting cities that thrive on expansion and growth, do we lose ourselves as individuals with the passage of time? Can a sense of community ever develop within this environment or are we destined to be alone? One of the reasons why breaking a mirror causes the infamous seven years of bad luck is that the soul, which regenerates every seven years, shatters with the mirror. Mirrors have been associated with negative traits for centuries, from Narcissus's sad fate to Dorian Gray's doom to Veronica Roth's "Divergent" Abnegation faction members, discouraged from checking their reflections for more than a few seconds. Indeed, do we not lose pieces of our souls if our reflections become our only companions and if we are not able to share our existence with others on a deeper level, beyond occasional gatherings? Gina does not seem to have much of a social life and does not seem too happy with her boyfriend. We could argue that they are beginning to lose themselves as the shapes that they have been molded into -- workaholics in a milieu that distances people through its affinity for exile.    

The cast is impressive. Headey carries the film impeccably, injecting Gina with a unique mix of logic, disbelief and apprehension. The character's evolution is chilling and Headey has the raw emotion to pull it off. Jenkins's portrayal of John is poignant, while Melvil Poupaud has a good turn and very disturbing arc as Stefan, Gina's boyfriend. 

The Broken achieves something that few films are capable of. It makes the viewer think about it for days and weeks to come by having us walk into its labyrinth, getting us lost and, thankfully, not letting us leave that easily. If you are looking for the cinematic equivalent of a puzzle, see this extraordinary film. Do not expect to solve it and do expect the unexpected. Be prepared to contemplate and be prepared to want to see it again.      

Just remember -- be careful with those mirrors...

9/10