The Broken Circle Breakdown

Last updated

The Broken Circle Breakdown
The Broken Circle Breakdown.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Felix van Groeningen
Screenplay byCarl Joos
Felix van Groeningen
Based onThe Broken Circle Breakdown
by Johan Heldenbergh
Mieke Dobbels
Produced byDirk Impens
Frans van Gestel
Laurette Schillings
Arnold Heslenfeld
Starring Johan Heldenbergh
Veerle Baetens
Cinematography Ruben Impens
Edited byNico Leunen
Music byBjorn Eriksson
Production
company
Menuet
Topkapi Films
Distributed byKinepolis Film Distribution
Release date
  • 10 October 2012 (2012-10-10)
Running time
111 minutes
CountryBelgium
Language Dutch
Box office$6 million [1]

The Broken Circle Breakdown (also known as Alabama Monroe) is a 2012 Belgian drama film directed by Felix van Groeningen with a screenplay by Carl Joos and van Groeningen. It is based on the stage play of the same name by Johan Heldenbergh and Mieke Dobbels.

Contents

The film garnered critical acclaim and was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, [2] and was on the nominated shortlist. [3] The film was the winner of Best Foreign Film at the 39th César Awards. [4] It was the winner of the 2013 Lux Prize. [5]

Plot

The film is set in Ghent, in the Flemish Region of Belgium, and chronicles the lives of Didier (Johan Heldenbergh) and Elise (Veerle Baetens) over seven years as they fall in love through their passion for bluegrass music. Didier meets Elise in her tattoo parlour and invites her to the performance of his Bluegrass band. They soon fall in love. When Didier discovers Elise has a wonderful voice, she joins their band as a singer. After a few months, Elise discovers she is unexpectedly pregnant. Even though it comes as a shock at first, the couple is happy. Their daughter Maybelle is born and for a few years, they live a happy life and have success with their band.

After her sixth birthday, Maybelle develops cancer and her health quickly deteriorates. She succumbs to it within a year. The death of Maybelle has a devastating effect on Didier and Elise's relationship and their lives. Didier focuses on scientism, especially after George W. Bush opposes embryonic stem cell research under pressure of creationists and the anti-abortion movement. Elise finds solace in spiritualism and reincarnation. The two grow further and further apart until Elise attempts suicide. She is rushed to the hospital but she is found braindead. Didier agrees to stop the artificial respiration. Finally the band plays a song around Elise's deathbed.

Cast

Production

The film was shot from 18 July to 8 September 2011 in Belgium. [6]

Soundtrack

The bluegrass soundtrack includes traditional songs [7] as well as music composed for the film by Bjorn Eriksson. [8] All the music in the band scenes is performed by the actors. [8]

  1. "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" See also "Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)"
  2. "The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn" by Alison Krauss, Pat Brayer, Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski, Barry Bales, and Ron Block
  3. "Dusty Mixed Feelings"
  4. "Wayfaring Stranger"
  5. "Rueben's Train"
  6. "Country In My Genes"
  7. "Further On Up The Road"
  8. "Where Are You Heading, Tumbleweed?"
  9. "Over In The Gloryland"
  10. "Cowboy Man"
  11. "If I Needed You"
  12. "Carved Tree Inn"
  13. "Sandmountain"
  14. "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us"
  15. "Blackberry Blossom"

Reception

Critical response

The Broken Circle Breakdown has an approval rating of 83% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 103 reviews, and an average rating of 7.30/10. The website's critical consensus states, "The Broken Circle Breakdown's reach occasionally exceeds its grasp, but overall, it's an intoxicating, finely wrought romance -- and one with a terrific soundtrack to boot". [9] It also has a score of 70 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [10]

Boyd van Hoeij of Variety wrote: "Sophisticated cutting brings out the story’s complex emotional undercurrents, though “Breakdown’s” less convincingly scripted second half sputters more often than it shines." [11] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "The non-linear structure works extremely well, making the drama a bracing emotional roller coaster of feel-good/feel-bad turns." [12]

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipient(s)Result
Academy Awards [3] Best Foreign Language Film Belgium Nominated
César Awards [4] Best Foreign Film The Broken Circle BreakdownWon
Denver Film Critics Society [13] Best Foreign Language FilmThe Broken Circle BreakdownNominated
European Film Awards [14] [15] European Film The Broken Circle BreakdownNominated
European Director Felix Van Groeningen Nominated
European Actress Veerle Baetens Won
European Actor Johan Heldenbergh Nominated
European Screenwriter Carl Joos, Felix van GroeningenNominated
People's Choice Award for Best European Film The Broken Circle BreakdownNominated
San Diego Film Critics Society [16] Best Foreign Language Film The Broken Circle BreakdownNominated
Best Original ScoreBjorn ErikssonNominated
Satellite Awards [ citation needed ] Best Foreign Language Film The Broken Circle BreakdownWon
Tribeca Film Festival [17] Best Actress in a Narrative Feature FilmVeerle BaetensWon
Best Screenplay for a Narrative Feature FilmCarl Joos, Felix Van GroeningenWon
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association [18] Best Foreign Language Film The Broken Circle BreakdownWon
Lux Prize [19] -The Broken Circle BreakdownWon

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Belgium</span> Filmmaking in Belgium

Cinema of Belgium refers to the film industry based in Belgium. Belgium is essentially a bi-lingual country divided into the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) north and the French-speaking south. There is also a small community of German speakers in the border region with Germany. Belgium is further a federal country made up of three regions and three language communities . Due to these linguistic and political divisions it is difficult to speak of a national, unified Cinema of Belgium. It would be more appropriate to talk about Flemish or Dutch-language cinema of Belgium and Walloon or French-language cinema of Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthias Schoenaerts</span> Belgian actor

Matthias Schoenaerts is a Belgian actor. He made his film debut at the age of 13 in Daens (1992), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He is best known for his roles as Filip in Loft (2008), Jacky Vanmarsenille in the Oscar-nominated Bullhead (2011), Ali in the BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominee Rust and Bone (2012), for which he won the César Award for Most Promising Actor, Eric Deeds in The Drop (2014), Bruno von Falk in Suite Française (2015), Gabriel Oak in Far from the Madding Crowd (2015), Hans Axgil in The Danish Girl (2015) and Uncle Vanya in Red Sparrow (2018). Schoenaerts received critical acclaim for his portrayal of an ex-soldier suffering from PTSD in Disorder (2015), and for his performance as an inmate training a wild horse in The Mustang (2019).

<i>Ben X</i> 2007 film by Nic Balthazar

Ben X is a 2007 Belgian-Dutch drama film based on the novel Nothing Was All He Said by Nic Balthazar, who also directed the film. The film is about a boy with Asperger syndrome who retreats into the fantasy world of the MMORPG ArchLord to escape bullying. The film's title is a reference to the leet version of the Dutch phrase "(ik) ben niks", meaning "(I) am nothing".

The David di Donatello for Best European Film is a category in the David di Donatello Awards, described as "Italy’s answer to the Oscars". It was awarded by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano to recognize the most outstanding non-Italian film released in Europe during the year preceding the ceremony. The award was launched at the 2004 ceremony and cancelled after the 2018 event, following which it was incorporated into the Best Foreign Film award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veerle Baetens</span> Belgian actress and singer

Veerle Baetens is a Belgian actress and singer probably best known for her role as Elise/Alabama in The Broken Circle Breakdown and as lead detective Hannah Maes in the crime drama Code 37. She has also starred in numerous Flemish movies.

<i>Steve + Sky</i> 2004 Belgian film

Steve + Sky is a 2004 Belgian comedy-drama film written and directed by Felix Van Groeningen in his directorial debut. It stars Titus De Voogdt, Delfine Bafort and Johan Heldenbergh. The film is set in Kortrijksesteenweg in Ghent, which is known for its many brothels, and follows two 22-year-olds whose lives crosses paths.

<i>The Misfortunates</i> 2009 Belgian film

The Misfortunates is a 2009 Belgian comedy-drama film directed by Felix Van Groeningen. It is adapted from the 2006 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Belgian writer Dimitri Verhulst. The film stars Kenneth Vanbaeden, Valentijn Dhaenens, Koen De Graeve, Wouter Hendrickx, Johan Heldenbergh, Bert Haelvoet, and Gilda De Bal.

"If I Needed You" is a song written by Townes Van Zandt and performed on his 1972 album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt. It was covered 9 years later by American country music artists Emmylou Harris and Don Williams as a duet, and was released in September 1981 as the first single from Harris' album Cimarron. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and #1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. According to Townes's business partner and producer Kevin Eggers, the song was written about his wife Anne Mittendorf Eggers.

<i>Soongava: Dance of the Orchids</i> 2012 film

Soongava: Dance of the Orchids is a 2012 Nepalese drama film written and directed by Subarna Thapa. It is Nepal's first lesbian film. The film was selected as the Nepalese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.

<i>Finsterworld</i> 2013 German motion picture drama

Finsterworld is a 2013 German motion picture drama directed by Frauke Finsterwalder and co-written by Finsterwalder and Christian Kracht, starring Margit Carstensen, Sandra Hüller, Corinna Harfouch, Christoph Bach, Carla Juri, and Jakub Gierszał.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johan Heldenbergh</span> Belgian actor

Johan Heldenbergh is a Belgian actor, playwright, screenwriter, theatre director and film director. He gained international fame by starring in films, including A Day in a Life (2007), Moscow, Belgium (2008), The Misfortunates (2009), The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012) and The Zookeeper's Wife (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felix van Groeningen</span> Belgian film director and screenwriter

Felix van Groeningen is a Belgian film director and screenwriter. He is known for The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012) and Belgica (2016), with the former being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards. He made his English-language debut with the biographical drama Beautiful Boy (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best Actress</span>

The Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best Actress is one of the annual film award given by the Tribeca Film Festival, since 2003.

Ruben Impens is a Belgian cinematographer. He works in Flanders and is best known for his work with Felix Van Groeningen, having worked on the entirety of Van Groeningen's feature filmography. He has worked on feature films, short films, documentaries and television series.

<i>The Brand New Testament</i> 2015 European comedy film

The Brand New Testament is a 2015 fantasy dark comedy film written, produced, and directed by Jaco Van Dormael. It is a co-production among Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. The film was screened at the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. It was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist of nine films, but was not nominated. The Brand New Testament received ten nominations at the 6th Magritte Awards, winning four awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Van Dormael. The film has become a cult film.

<i>Belgica</i> (film) 2016 film directed by Felix Van Groeningen

Belgica is a 2016 Belgian drama film directed by Felix Van Groeningen, written by Van Groeningen and Arne Sierens. It stars Stef Aerts, Tom Vermeir, Hélène Devos, and Charlotte Vandermeersch. The movie is based upon a true story and revolves around a group of friends trying to run a bar where rock bands come to play. Belgica has since then become a cult film.

<i>Beautiful Boy</i> (2018 film) 2018 American film

Beautiful Boyis a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Felix van Groeningen, in his English-language feature debut. The screenplay, written by Luke Davies and van Groeningen, is based on the memoirs Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction by David Sheff and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff. The film stars Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, and Amy Ryan, and deals with a father-son relationship increasingly strained by the latter's drug addiction.

<i>A Bluebird in My Heart</i> 2018 Belgian film

A Bluebird in My Heart is a 2018 Belgian-French thriller drama film written and directed by Jérémie Guez and starring Roland Møller, Veerle Baetens, Lola Le Lann and Lubna Azabal. It is based on the novel The Dishwasher by Dannie M. Martin. It is also Guez's feature directorial debut.

References

  1. ↑ "The Broken Circle Breakdown (2013)". JPBox-Office (in French). Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Oscars: Belgium Nominates 'The Broken Circle Breakdown' for Foreign Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter . 24 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Oscars: Main nominations 2014". BBC News . Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 "France's Cesar Awards: 'Me, Myself and Mum' Wins Best Film". Hollywood Reporter. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "LUX Prize 2013". European Parliament . Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Pressbook - The Broken Circle Breakdown.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "The Broken Circle Breakdown(2012) Soundtracks". IMDb . Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  8. 1 2 "The Broken Circle Breakdown highlights Belgian bluegrass". Bluegrass Today. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "The Broken Circle Breakdown". Rotten Tomatoes .
  10. ↑ "The Broken Circle Breakdown". Metacritic .
  11. ↑ Hoeij, Boyd van (19 February 2013). "The Broken Circle Breakdown". Variety .
  12. ↑ Rooney, David (12 February 2013). "The Broken Circle Breakdown: Berlin Review". The Hollywood Reporter .
  13. ↑ Lodge, Guy (7 January 2014). "2013 Denver Film Critics' Society nominations". HitFix . Hitfix Awards. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "'The Broken Circle Breakdown' Leads European Film Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood . PMC. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  15. ↑ "VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE EUROPEAN FILM AND WIN A TRIP TO THE 26th EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS IN BERLIN!". Europeanfilmawards.eu. November 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "San Diego Film Critics Select Top Films for 2013". San Diego Film Critics Society . 11 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  17. ↑ "HERE ARE YOUR TFF 2013 AWARD WINNERS". Tribeca Film Festival . 25 April 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  18. ↑ Tapley, Kristopher (8 December 2013). "'12 Years a Slave' and 'Her' lead the way with Washington D.C. critics nominations". HitFix . Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  19. ↑ "The Broken Circle Breakdown wins 2013 LUX Prize". European Parliament. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.