From the first flourishes of unexpected passion to the bitter challenges of love’s dying days, The Broken Circle Breakdown is informed by the familiar intricacies of intertwined lives. Practical Didier (Johan Heldenbergh, Come As You Are) and free-spirited Elise (Veerle Baetens, Code 37) meet, connect and form a life together, relaxed in their blossoming courtship but rushed by circumstances beyond their control. They build a home and welcome daughter Maybelle (debutant Nell Cattrysse), their future seemingly solidified. Then their combined path is plagued by trouble, taking a series of unforseen turns.
These standard story milestones have formed the basis of countless romantic comedies and dramas, always in the pursuit of a happy ending. Alas, reality routinely proves anything but blissful, except in fleeting moments, with existence spent in the shadow of its ultimate conclusion. The Broken Circle Breakdown understands the fragile divide between the ephemeral dream and the inevitable tragedy, crafting its treatise on life and love with an understanding of the evident disparity. The exultant highs and the despairing lows that result furnish the bittersweet tale.
Adapted from star Heldenbergh and Mieke Dobbels’ popular play The Broken Circle Breakdown Featuring the Cover-Ups of Alabama by director Felix Van Groeningen (The Misfortunates) and co-scribe Carl Joos (The Memory of a Killer), the film flits between the extremities of Didier and Elise’s dalliance, careening through emotions and experiences to cultivate a spiralling portrait of their fated romance. Sophisticated editing heightens the juxtaposition as the elegantly-shot story unfolds within a complex but compelling non-linear structure, building the hopeful broader framework before filling in the heartbreaking details.
As the fiercely individualistic couple confront the best and worst that their relationship and parenthood can bring, their respective obsessions – with Didier an America-obsessed bluegrass musician and Elise an art-adorned tattooist – are employed to express and echo their transitions. Songs stimulate and soothe as the lovers share a series of stages, their creations punctuating the rousing soundtrack; each added splash of ink to the skin providing a constant visual reminder of the mounting toll of their shared history.
Accordingly, while the melodramatic tale of star-crossed lovers faced with tests of faith and thought is comprised of customary narrative components, their combination transcends the ordinary. Energetic but intimate in his elliptical approach, Van Groeningen amplifies the resonance in his continued use of contrasts, each comparison increasing the film’s intensity. Not all adversarial elements succeed, with a battle of beliefs that culminates with a mid-song political outburst ill-fitting; similarly, subtlety departs as the feature circles closer to its ultimate catastrophe. Yet, the raw emotion ripped from reality, nuanced central performances that seethe with authenticity, and moving musical accompaniment ensure The Broken Circle Breakdown is affecting, intelligent and invigorating, swelling with solace as much as sorrow.
Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5
The Broken Circle Breakdown
Director: Felix Van Groeningen
Belgium, 2012, 111 mins
Distributor: Hopscotch
General release date TBC
Sydney Film Festival
June 5 – 16
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