Set in the outskirts of London, somewhere in the North, tells a story of a 11-year-old Skunk - a normal, maybe a little smarter than the rest, teenager. Her father is a busy lawyer, her older brother is already into girls. She has diabetes and deals with it best she can. On the same crescent, there live two other families, each one with specific problems. Skunk has a crush on her English teacher (who wouldn't - it's Cillian Murphy we're talking about!), who happens to be her Polish au pair's boyfriend.
"Broken" is very intimate, mature, gentle, but at the same time it presents life as it is: with all its ups and downs, all the embarassments, sadness and joy. Perhaps it also is a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story of little Skunk, who deals with matters bigger than herself. Perhaps you see echoes of "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, and such juxtapositions would be justified as well.
"Broken" has just recently won the Independent British Film Award for best independent picture, and Rory Kinnear got the award as well. Eloise Laurence, an exceptional lady, made her debut here as well as Rufus Norris, but you would think she was just born to act.
The review in Polish is to be found on FilmNews or below.
