"Broken Things" is a 14-minute short film Ireland written and directed by Vincent Lambe. It shows us the life of a boy who struggles with his peers at school and his parents who are about to split up. It reminded me a bit of the film in the title. Here it's not the protagonist's passion for dancing, but for playing the piano which helps him in these difficult times. I thought here and there it was a bit over the top, but all in all it is very watchable. Fans of the television series "Borgia" are going to find a familiar face here. The music was fine as well. Lambe was still only 20 or 21 when he made this and it certainly shows some prospect. Quite a shame that he has basically not worked at all in film according to his body of work. I recommend his effort here. Thumbs up.
2 Reviews
A simple story told well.
michaelwalters5611 March 2004
I saw this film at the NYU International Film Festival in New York and couldn't stop thinking about it. It's a wonderful piece of story-telling about a young boy trying to escape his parents marital separation through his love for the piano. Although it's about something quite tragic, the film has heart and humor and is full of surprisingly entertaining moments. The kid who plays the lead role is incredible! I was so mesmerized by his performance. The emotion in his face and his eyes seems so real that you just wanna reach out and hug him. The rest of the cast are also very strong in their roles. I particularly liked the relationship between the father and the son as it was told through simple moments that were quite touching, yet never asking for attention. The director addresses a whole lot of issues that we encounter in the process of growing up and handles them brilliantly with a sense of humor. This is a very simple story told exceptionally well.
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