Blu-ray Review: BREAKING

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Nov 30, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Things haven’t been easy for Lance Corporal Brian Brown-Easley (John Boyega) ever since he returned home from the Iraq War with an honorable discharge. He’s divorced, and mental and health issues have caused him to struggle to keep a job to pay the bills. He doesn’t even have enough money to be able to talk to his young daughter on the phone, or buy her the puppy she really wants for her birthay. On top of that, he’s about to be kicked out of his apartment and left homeless. The VA won’t give him his benefits, claiming that he owes them money. Brian is stressed out and at the end of his rope. He feels ignored, and wants people to listen to him. So he heads to the Windy Hills Wells Fargo, and threatens to set off a homemade bomb if he doesn’t receive his VA check. He doesn’t really want to hurt anyone, and allows most of the staff and customers at the bank to leave, but keeps manager Estel Valerie (Nicole Beharie) and teller Rosa Diaz (Selenis Leyva) inside as his hostages. He seems resigned to the fact that he likely won’t make it out of the bank alive, but wants to make sure that the public hears his story first.

Breaking is a tense, somewhat heartbreaking film, based on the true story of a man who put his life on the line for his country, only to return home from war and have that same country turn its back on him. He is sick and tired of being ignored, and on the verge of losing everything, forcing him to resort to desperate measures. He’s not looking to rob the bank or get rich, he just wants the meager amount of money he is rightfully owed, and for the VA to be publicly called out so that other veterans won’t end up in the same situation. John Boyega delivers an incredibly strong, emotional performance as this tired, exhausted man who was mentally and physically wounded while fighting for his country, now ignored by the same, and who is just desperately trying to provide for his little girl.

It’s clear almost from the beginning that Brian’s time at war has left him not mentally all there. Shortly after he takes over the bank, Brian’s paranoia goes wild. Whether it’s an uncooperative 9-1-1 operator asking what clothes he is wearing, or people walking by the open blinds, he thinks there are snipers out to get him. And throughout the hostage situation, he grows more and more on edge and paranoid. The two bank employees inside take the situation very differently. While manager Estel generally remains calm, cool and collected (and even starts to plot ways to escape), teller Rosa is a terrified mess, who is constantly cowering under her desk, and struggling to make the phone calls Brian requests. Both actresses do an excellent job of portraying these different characters—while I’d like to think I’d be an Estel in this situation, I know I’d likely be more like Rosa, frozen in fear.

As the film plays out, we learn more about the situation between Brian and the VA through flashbacks. The film explores just how poorly many veterans are treated in this country, and the process they must go through just to claim their benefits. While much of the film takes place inside the bank, there are others who are pulled into the hostage situation from outside, including TV reporter Lisa Larson (Connie Britton) whom Brian reaches out to in hopes of broadcasting his story. And trying to deescalate the situation are police officer Major Riddick (Jeffrey Donovan), and his fellow sergeant Eli Bernard (Michael Kenneth Williams). Bernard is the chief negotiator for the Marietta PD, and is a veteran himself, so he takes great personal interest in trying to find a safe and peaceful resolution to the situation. While this film is very much a showcase for Boyega, the rest of the cast also deliver strong, emotional performances.

Decal Releasing’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The picture is generally very clean and clear, with a solid level of detail—as Brian enters the bank and heads to the teller, you can see the sweat beads and stubble on his head. While the color palette is generally muted, the film looks quite beautifully composed. The camera work is also very clean and smooth, such as a creative, seamless transition from Brian telling his story in the bank to him sitting in a chair in the VA office in a flashback. The audio track is also very well utilized. As the film opens with Brian walking outside, there is excellent use of the surround channel to provide the ambiance of the city trains and people. And even when inside the bank, the immersive feeling continues, with the sounds of helicopters overhead. Dialogue remains clear throughout, including the other side of phone conversations with characters we never actually see, such as 9-1-1 operators.

The Blu-ray release is barebones, offering no bonus material—not even the film’s trailer. The disc comes packed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase, with a cardboard slipcover. No digital copy is included.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:43:23)

1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Extras:

No bonus material is included.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended

Breaking is a tense, emotional film, with John Boyega’s stellar performance at the forefront. He plays this stressed, destitute veteran who’s desperate to be heard and just receive the benefits he is entitled to so that he can provide for his family and won’t end up homeless. Decal’s Blu-ray release features excellent picture and sound, but unfortunately lacks any bonus material. That said, the disc still comes recommended based on the quality of the film itself and the excellent performances.