Breaking | |
---|---|
Directed by | Abi Damaris Corbin |
Written by |
|
Based on | "They Didn't Have to Kill Him" by Aaron Gell |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Doug Emmett |
Edited by | Chris Witt |
Music by | Michael Abels |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Bleecker Street |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $2.8 million |
Breaking is a 2022 American thriller drama film starring John Boyega as a Marine Corps veteran, Brian Brown-Easley, who is in financial trouble and robs a bank. It is written and directed by Abi Damaris Corbin and co-written by Kwame Kwei-Armah, based on the true story of Brown-Easley, detailed in the 2018 Task & Purpose article "They Didn't Have to Kill Him" by Aaron Gell. The film also stars Nicole Beharie, Selenis Leyva, Connie Britton, Jeffrey Donovan, and Michael Kenneth Williams.
The film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival under its original title 892 on January 21, 2022, and was released in the United States by Bleecker Street on August 26, 2022. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
Based on the 2017 real-life story of the late Brian Brown-Easley, a decorated Marine Corps veteran in dire financial straits resulting from systemic failure. Easley is concerned over the effects of this on his daughter, alongside the prospects of homelessness to the point of threatening to blow up a Wells Fargo bank unless he receives payment he is owed from the Department of Veterans Affairs. [1] [2]
Breaking is based on the news article titled, "‘They didn’t have to kill him’: The death of Lance Corporal Brian Easley" by Aaron Gell, which is about Brian Easley, played by actor John Boyega in the film. Easley was a 33-year-old U.S. Marine veteran who served in Kuwait and Iraq before being honorably discharged in 2005. Easley moved back in with his mom, who lived in Georgia. After moving back in with his mom, Easley met a woman named Jessica, with whom he formed a relationship, moved in with, and eventually married. In 2008, Jessica became pregnant with their daughter, whom they named Jayla. Eventually, Easley was diagnosed with mental health challenges as well as severe chronic back pain. Then, in 2011, Easley’s mother died. Her death began a period of time in which Easley bounced around between various housing situations that included a Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) mental hospital and the inside of his car. Easley attempted to keep himself afloat through the monthly disability checks he received from the V.A. The checks were in the amount of $892. [3]
In addition to the uncertainty of his living conditions and his mental health, Jessica said that Brian Easley was, at times, rarely around to help care for their daughter. At one point, Easley did buy a cellphone for his daughter, Jayla and used it to assist her with homework. Additionally, Easley called her just about every night and the two would pray together. In between everything, Easley attempted to get an education at Lincoln College of Technology. However, by July 3, 2017, financial difficulties had made it difficult for Easley to attend to his education. The VA had not yet given Easley his usual $892 check, which led him to visit the VA’s Regional Benefits Office for an appointment. There was an incident and Easley was handcuffed by police. The VA claimed that he had been belligerent and eventually the police released him from custody, but he did not get the money he usually got from the VA. He was scheduled to return three days later, but that never happened, and a few days later, everything changed. [4]
On the morning of July 7, 2017, Brian Easley walked into a Wells Fargo bank with what he claimed was a C-4 explosive in his backpack. He gave everyone in the bank, except two employees, time to evacuate the bank. In his desire to draw attention to his financially desperate situation, Easley, after calling 911, also called a local news station and explained his perspective to an editor. While on the call, he emphasized his financial struggles as well as his struggles to procure essentials like food and housing. Additionally, Easley said his goal was not to hurt anyone nor was it to rob the bank; he just wanted to get his usual $892 check. [5]
After police and SWAT arrived on the scene, a crisis negotiator, Sgt. Andre Bates, called the bank and began talking with Brian Easley. Sgt. Bates attempted to relate to Easley by discussing their experiences as U.S. Marines. Sgt. Bates tried to appeal to what he saw as the humanity within Easley by telling him his life and honor were worth more than $892. Eventually, Sgt. Bates convinced Easley to let one of the two remaining hostages go in exchange for a pack of cigarettes. This breakthrough gave Sgt. Bates confidence that the situation was heading in a positive direction. However, the breakthrough never fully materialized. In the early afternoon, confusion ensued when a gunshot was fired at Brian Easley, killing him and ending the standoff. [6]
Questions have been raised over why Easley was shot and killed by police. For some time, there was no public knowledge of Sgt. Bates’ attempts to solve the situation peacefully. There have been suggestions and allusions that racial bias and bias against those with mental illness might have played a role in Easley being killed by police. While not excusing Brian’s actions, his half-brother, Calvin Easley, has been quoted as saying, "they didn’t have to kill him. He just wanted to get his story out." [7]
On March 2, 2021, it was announced that Jonathan Majors would star in the film, then titled 892, as a Marine war veteran who suffers from mental scars, and his hard transition back to civilian life. [8] The screenplay was based on Aaron Gell's article "They Didn't Have to Kill Him", published on Task & Purpose on April 9, 2018. [9] [10] On July 8, 2021, it was reported that John Boyega replaced Majors due to a scheduling conflict with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania . [11] On August 30, 2021, it was confirmed that Connie Britton joined the cast. [12]
Principal photography began on July 6, 2021, and was scheduled to conclude on August 16, 2021, in Los Angeles. [13]
The film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2022, where the cast won the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. [14] On February 1, 2022, Bleecker Street acquired the film's US distribution rights. [15] [16] The film's title was later changed from 892 to Breaking, and it was set to be released on August 26, 2022. [17]
In the United States and Canada, Breaking was released alongside The Invitation and Three Thousand Years of Longing . The film debuted to $985,921 from 902 theaters in its opening weekend. [18] [19] It went on to gross $2.8 million at the box office. [20] [21]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 81% of 156 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10.The website's consensus reads: "Breaking struggles to effectively convey its messages, but its noble intentions are well served by John Boyega's electrifying performance." [22] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [23] Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film a 55% overall positive score. [24]
Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood said, "Corbin is firmly in control behind the camera and with particular expert help with her editor Chris Witt. The British actor Boyega is superb in every aspect of the role, as is the commanding presence of the late Williams in what, sadly, is his final film role." [25]
Writing for Variety , Peter Debruge said, "This is not an act of documentary reenactment so much as a tense, speculative drama, imagining what this man must have gone through during those hours, and how his actions rippled out to affect others' lives." [9]
Stage 6 Films, Inc. is an American film production label of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions that acquires and produces feature films that are low budget and that are being released direct-to-disc, on demand, or through streaming services. Some of their films are also being released theatrically. Once a film is finished, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions will decide if the film will be released theatrically or on a different platform.
Taking Chance is a 2009 American historical drama television film directed by Ross Katz, from a screenplay by Michael Strobl and Katz, based on the journal of the same name by Strobl, who also serves as military consultant. Kevin Bacon's portrayal of Strobl in the film won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie, among other accolades.
James Ponsoldt is an American film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed the drama films Off the Black (2006) and Smashed (2012), the romantic comedy-drama The Spectacular Now (2013), and the dramas The End of the Tour (2015) and The Circle (2017).
John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega, known professionally as John Boyega, is a British actor and producer. He first rose to prominence in Britain for his role as a teenage gang leader in the comedy horror film Attack the Block (2011), and had his international breakthrough playing Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He received the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016, and the Trophée Chopard at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Bleecker Street Media LLC is an independent American film company that specializes in film distribution. The company is based in New York City and named after 65 Bleecker Street, the street address of founder Andrew Karpen's prior company Focus Features. Founded in 2014, the studio was established with the goal to distribute "smart house" films that combine the entertainment of studio blockbusters with the artistic indie allure.
Beirut, also known as The Negotiator in the United Kingdom, is a 2018 American political thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Tony Gilroy.
Angel Has Fallen is a 2019 American political action thriller film directed by Ric Roman Waugh. It is the third installment in the Has Fallen film series, following Olympus Has Fallen (2013) and London Has Fallen (2016). The film stars Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick, Tim Blake Nelson, Piper Perabo, Nick Nolte, and Danny Huston. The plot again follows United States Secret Service agent Mike Banning as he races against time to clear his name after being framed for a drone attack on the President of the United States, Allan Trumbull.
Dream Horse is a 2020 sports comedy-drama film directed by Euros Lyn from a screenplay by Neil McKay. The film stars Toni Collette, Damian Lewis, Owen Teale, Joanna Page, Karl Johnson, Steffan Rhodri, Anthony O'Donnell, Nicholas Farrell, and Siân Phillips, and follows the true story of Dream Alliance, a horse that raced in the Welsh Grand National. It had previously been the subject of the documentary, Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance.
Topic Studios is an American film production company owned by First Look Media. The company is known for producing films Leave No Trace (2018), Luce (2019), The Climb (2019), The Mauritanian (2021). The company also produces television shows including Love Fraud (2020) and 100 Foot Wave (2021).
Task & Purpose is an American online publication founded in 2014 which covers the United States Armed Forces and the defense industry. They serve millions of readers monthly.
Nobody is a 2021 American action thriller film directed by Ilya Naishuller and written by Derek Kolstad. The film, which stars Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksey Serebryakov, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd, follows a mild-mannered family man who returns to his former life of an assassin after he and his family become the target of a vengeful crime lord. Odenkirk and David Leitch are among the film's producers.
Save Yourselves! is a 2020 American science fiction comedy film written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, and starring John Paul Reynolds and Sunita Mani. The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. It was released on October 2, 2020, by Bleecker Street.
Bullet Train is a 2022 American action comedy film directed by David Leitch and starring Brad Pitt as a former assassin who must battle fellow killers while riding a bullet train. It is based on the 2010 novel Maria Beetle, written by Kōtarō Isaka and translated by Sam Malissa, the second novel in Isaka's Hitman trilogy, of which the first novel was previously adapted as the 2015 Japanese film Grasshopper. The film also features an ensemble supporting cast including Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A. Martínez Ocasio, and Sandra Bullock.
Mass is a 2021 American drama film written and directed by Fran Kranz in his directorial debut. It stars Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, and Martha Plimpton as grieving parents who meet to discuss a tragedy involving their sons. The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021, and was released on October 8, 2021, by Bleecker Street. At the BAFTA Awards, Dowd received a nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
The 2022 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 20 to 30, 2022. Due to COVID-19 pandemic protocol, it was initially intended to be an in-person/virtual hybrid festival, but on January 5, 2022, it was announced that the in-person components would be scrapped in favor of a wholly virtual festival due to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 9, 2021.
The Cathedral is a 2021 American semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama film written, directed, and edited by Ricky D'Ambrose. It stars Brian d'Arcy James and Monica Barbaro.
Summering is a 2022 American coming-of-age drama film co-written, directed, and produced by James Ponsoldt. It stars Lia Barnett, Lake Bell, Sarah Cooper, Ashley Madekwe, Madalen Mills, Megan Mullally, Eden Grace Redfield, and Sanai Victoria. It was released on August 12, 2022, by Bleecker Street.