BREAKING AND ENTERING

UK, 2006, 120 minutes, Colour.
Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn, Vera Farmiga, Martin Freeman, Rafi Gavron, Poppy Rogers, Ray Winstone, Juliet Stevenson.
Directed by Anthony Minghella.

Breaking and entering is a burglary theme but it can also be used as a metaphor for entering into relationships and breaking them. At least, this seems to be a key to Anthony Minghella’s latest film, a London drama set in the district around Kings Cross station, taking advantage of the building projects going on there in the middle of the decade, especially for the extensions for the Eurostar.

Jude Law and Martin Freeman are two architects who are capitalising on the situation and designing modern precincts for the area. A gang, refugees from the Balkans who rely on the agility of youngsters who can leap from building to building to descend and open doors, burgles the architects’ offices not once, but twice, and seem to be prepared for further robberies.

In the meantime Jude Law’s Swedish partner and her autistic daughter are putting emotional pressure on him so that when, after keeping vigil at the office site (and resisting the matter-of-fact advances of one of the local prostitutes), he chases one of the thieves to his home, anonymously visits, meets the boy’s mother, and is smitten. This is not too hard as the mother is played by Juliet Binoche (who won her Oscar for her performance in Minghella’s The English Patient). Law finds himself in emotional tangles, fidelity tangles, police investigation tangles and business tangles.

The film is ambitious in its scope, in its frequent use of more philosophical musings on the meaning of life, and in its starry cast. Besides Law and Binoche, Robin Wright Penn plays the Swedish mother and Ray Winstone plays the local detective.

While the film is in no hurry, it is still watchable until the final confrontation between families, criminals, police and business partners in an effort to effect some kind of reconciliation and acceptance of responsibility. What might have been simple to achieve in practice becomes a major melodramatic sequence with rather hard to believe manipulations of the truth for noble purposes and what, at least one hopes, is a happy ending.

1.The career of Anthony Minghella? As writer, director? The London story, the focus on the area around King’s Cross Station? Themes of relationship, social themes?

2.King’s Cross: the locations, the atmosphere, the station, changes, buildings, firms and companies, the sleazy atmosphere, robberies, homes? The musical score?

3.The international cast and its strength?

4.The title, robberies, Miro and his being in the gang and their breaking and entering? Will and Amira and his breaking and entering into her life? Breaking and entering and the need for restoration?

5.His voice-over and the tension in the relationship, people not looking at each other? At home, meals? Dominated by the daughter’s behaviour? The explanation of her condition? His being tolerant – and intolerant? Sometimes ignoring the daughter, other times helping her? His criticisms of Liv giving in to her? Taking the daughter to the gymnastics, watching her, taking her out, playing with her? Liv and her pushing him away? At the office, the projects, sharing with Sandy, Sandy and his infatuation with Erica, the photos? Their discussions? The social, the planned renewal of the area, the people at the party, Liv going? The robberies and his reaction? The police, discussions with Bruno? Sandy and Will keeping vigil, Oana, the prostitute? Her CD – and the daughter…. playing it later? The discussions, the arguments about money? Miro and the robbery, Will following him, knowing Miro’s identity? Oana taking his car? Sandy’s reaction? The disappearance of the laptop with all his files?

6.Sandy as partner, ordinary, at work, his reactions to the robberies, Erica, suspicions on the staff, the photo of Erica, dating her? Their clashes about security? The members of the staff and security issues? The date? The issue of justice for Miro – and his being unwilling? Going along with Will?

7.Liv and her Swedish background, leaving her husband, ten years with Will, no wedding? The tension, her continued devotion to her daughter, pampering her daughter? The meals, the breakages, the hiding of the batteries? Persuading Will to go along to Rosemary for counselling, the discussions, Rosemary’s advice, giving the information to Will, his scepticism?

8.Bruno and the local police, the different officers, Bruno being genial, talking to Miro, knowing what was going on? The discussions with Will and Sandy? The final proposal, the meeting, the conditions, Will and Liv going and giving Miro another chance?

9.Miro, the family background, his skill in leaping and climbing? Seeing the security codes, running, timing, opening the doors? Breaking and entering, the escape? The other members of the gang, his relations, his cousin? Their discussions together? The gift of the laptop, his looking at the photos, his interests in architecture? His bond with his mother? The family background, the father and the war in the Balkans, staying, their being refugees? His going to school – and absenting himself? His room, the irony of Will going into it and seeing it, giving the laptop back, the final chase? His being caught, in the cell, his mother coming to him, the build-up to the meeting with Liv and will, their verifying the story, giving him another opportunity? Going back to Sarajevo?

10.Amira, her background, the encounter with Will and Bea in the playground, the towel? Will following her, discovering where she lived, offering her the mending, the attraction, their discussions, the kiss, the sexual relationship, the plea for Miro? The Muslim background, her husband and his infidelities, the family and telling her off, her reliance on her son, wanting him to do well, school? The sexual encounter at her friend’s house, taking the photos, as covering to pressure him to help Miro? Her confession, her pleading on the hill? Wanting to return the laptop but cut off? The build-up to the meeting, watching her son go to thank Will? Her character?

11.Bea and her problems, hyperactive, sensitivities, the contents of the fridge, the colours and the towel, at home and getting her own way, her success at the gym, the support of the coach, Will taking her to the site, her fall, the hospital?

12.The character of the prostitute, at work around King’s Cross, getting in the car, her deals, her talk, background, bringing the coffee, taking the car and bringing it back?

13.Will and the final confrontation with Liv, confessing, Liv agreeing to help him, at the meeting with Miro, ordering will out of the car, linking up again, her admitting that she was pushing him away, hopes, the possibility of marriage?

14.How was the film a journey for each of the central characters – their interconnections, being at a better stage by the end of the film?

15.A talkative film, vocabulary, style, the issues of metaphors, reflective, ideas and articulation of themes?