Review by
Blair MacBride
Directed by: Abi Damaris Corbin
Starring: John Boyega, Nicole Beharie, Selenis Leyva, Michael Kenneth
Williams
Another screening from GFF and yet another very strong UK premiere - the
2023 festival programme is truly one to remember. This time round it's
Breaking (originally titled '892'), an edge of your seat,
true story thriller featuring John Boyega and the late great
Michael Kenneth Williams.
Dramatised from the real life 2017 events, Brian Brown Easley (Boyega) is
struggling beyond words. A disabled American war veteran, he finds himself
on the brink of homelessness after the US Government Department for
Veterans Affairs (commonly known as the VA) refuses to pay his latest
disability cheque; this is a result of the ex-marine having apparently
accrued "debt" that needs to be cleared. Interacting with his daughter,
Kiah (London Covington), gives Easley temporary relief from a
justifiably angry existence. At his wits end though, the wrongly abandoned
former soldier walks into a Wells Fargo bank and holds it up, threatening
to blow up a bomb unless he gets the meager but significant $892 he's owed
and the attention he demands to cases like his.
Needing a decent bargaining chip to acquire his money and secure his life,
he allows all but two people to leave the bank - the bank manager Estel
(Nicole Beharie) and terrified teller Rosa (Selenis Leyva)
remain. There is no question that Easley is sadly unstable. What unfolds
next, however, is perhaps the most polite, respectfully conducted hostage
situation to ever occur in cinema due to Easley's nature and modest
demands. He doesn't want to kill anyone; he simply wants to be heard,
understood and supported in the way in which he already should have been.
The coverage from media outlets begins to build and a law enforcement task
force sets up a base outside the bank to create a plan to end the crisis.
Enter chief police negotiator Sergeant Bernard (Williams), who begins
communication with Easley in an attempt to bring about a much needed
resolution to both the situation at hand and his own tragic circumstances.
Breaking is a testament to its director's determination to
tell this true tale. Abi Damaris Corbin - who also co-writes this
gripping script with Kwami Kwei-Armah - delivers a starkly
harrowing feature debut. Having commented that she herself has a personal
connection to the instance of a veteran being mistreated by the state (her
father had issues with the VA too), Corbin excels at showcasing such a
powerful adaptation of Easley's story. She builds a really striking
narrative that pulls on many emotions, and truly has to be commended for
shedding light on an awfully sad individual plight that transcends
specific occurrences and highlights the larger negligence of consecutive
US governments to support their discharged military.
Speaking of commendation, Breaking is an acting showcase of
the highest order. In what is hands down his best performance to date,
Boyega surpasses all expectations as Easley - the days of his cheesy
depictions in a galaxy far far away feel like a distant unpleasant memory.
Instead, the young English actor is spellbinding in offering a much more
meaningful performance. Moreover, in what was his last on-screen role,
Williams is magnificent as Sergeant Bernard. The chemistry that both he
and Boyega have on-screen is superb, and the pair's over-the-phone
relationship as assailant and negotiator really adds crucial depth to the
film. Beharie is also brilliant as the terrified but composed bank manager
Estel.
The feature itself is a very engaging watch, but its middle has a slight
lull to it, detracting from the otherwise strong set up. In hostage flicks
such as this, there is inevitably going to be periods of building tension,
but also of character building and slightly more docile sequences in
comparison. What's crucial, though, is that there's an ample balance of
both to keep the viewer engaged. In Breaking's second act, there's an unfortunate period where the mix of the two
isn't quite right. We're also left wanting a little more insight into
Easley's circumstances prior to his fateful actions. Flashbacks provide
welcome context to his life, yet it may have added something to delve into
just a little bit more of the systemic institutional failures which let
this former soldier down.
That said, Breaking is an incredibly moving film. Despite a
few snags along the way, it not only asks strong and important questions
of the powers that be, but it also has such an effect on the audience that
it leaves us demanding the answers. It succeeds with heart, honesty and
tenderness at telling the story of a man who merely wanted to live a fair
existence after putting his life on the line for his country.
