慾望迷城 - Breaking and Entering

Stealing someone's computer is a crime, but is it worse to steal someone's heart? Are you interested in this philosophical question? I am not personally. To me, Breaking and Entering is just another typical melodrama with a contrived plot, talking about a man betraying his lover and having a fling with another woman.

Will (Jude Law) and his friend Sandy (Martin Freeman) run an architecture firm and move into a new office in the improving but still dangerous Kings Cross area of London, where they intend to transform a run-down neighborhood into a modernistic multiple-use park. Will totally immerses himself in his urban renewal projects. This worsens his relationship with his beautiful girlfriend Liv (Robin Wright Penn), who spends most of her time worrying about her autistic 13-year-old daughter Bea (Poppy Roger), who rarely sleeps and eats. Bea's only outlet for her energy is gymnastics.

Their new studio office has been burgled twice within days by a local gang of thieves and Will chases one of the young gang members, Miro (Rafi Gavron), back to the apartment he shares with his mother, a Bosnian refugee named Amira (Juliette Binoche). Will befriends Amira to further investigate the burglary, but their friendship gradually turns into an affair. Amira soon discovers that Miro robbed Will's office and becomes suspicious of his true intentions in their relationship. Amira, thus, blackmails Will in order to protect her son…

The director intends to make the movie conspicuous for its depiction of how different social classes and cultures collide. However, the contrived plot, the characters' strange behaviour and implausible lines hinder me from connecting with any one of the characters. First, it is unlikely for Will, a handsome English architect, to have a romantic affair with a Bosnian refugee whose son breaks into his office. The motive for his interest in her is unknown. Second, we don't understand why Will's daughter obsessively practicing gymnastics does not want to sleep and eat. Third, the Hollywoodized and unreasonable ending does not go with this independent film. {SPOILER} Why does Will suddenly become aware that Liv is the woman he loves most? Why are the policeman and lawyer easily deceived? Why does Liv easily forgive Will, after kicking the car and shouting neurotically, for having an affair? This is hardly believable.

If you watch Breaking and Entering owing to Anthony Minghella's success with The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley, you will be disappointed. If you watch it because of Jude Law and Juliette Binoche, a French actress who is able to fully master her character's Eastern European accent, you may feel satisfied. Despite the powerful cast, Breaking and Entering cannot break and enter my heart. I give it 2.5 stars out of 5.

 Special thanks to the Intercontinental Film Distributors (HK) Ltd.