Review: Breaking

Breaking, Abi Damaris Corbin‘s directorial debut, tells the heart-shattering true story of Brian Brown-Easley. Easley, played in the film by an electrifying John Boyega, was a former Marine driven to extreme measures after being failed by the very systems set up to protect him.

Easley was honorably discharged from the Marines due to back pain and mental health issues. Afterwards, his primary source of income was a monthly disability check from Veteran’s Affairs (VA). He would give as much of that as he could to his daughter Kiah and ex-wife Cassandra. After his June 1, 2017 payment from the VA arrived, Easley told his daughter he would buy her a puppy. However, when July 1st rolled around and there was no payment from the VA, he knew something was very wrong.

After a visit to the VA which results in a dismissal and a pamphlet titled “Homelessness And You”, Easley decides to take massive action. He walks into a Wells Fargo bank branch and calmly passes a note to a teller. The note reads that he has a bomb.

Breaking then turns into an intense hostage drama. Easley lets everyone go except for one teller, Rosa, and the branch manager, Estel (played by Selenis Leyva and Nicole Behaire respectively). He makes it very clear that he does not want any money from the bank, he just wants what the VA owes him. The amount? $892. Breaking was originally titled 892 when it premiered at Sundance earlier this year.

After initial efforts to get his story out fail, Easley desperately reaches out to local news producer Lisa Larson (Connie Britton) in an attempt to gain recognition. Their interaction is heartbreaking. He explains that he is going to be homeless, that he has been failed, and that he has a daughter. Britton is fantastic as a woman thrust into a situation she was not ready for. However, Boyega absolutely shines here. After being told to “wait” by Larson one too many times, Easley explodes and we finally get a glimpse of what has been simmering under his calm exterior.

Finally, Easley has had enough and demands a negotiator. Enter the late Michael K Williams as Eli Bernard. Williams absolutely commands the screen with his presence, radiating both strength and compassion. Bernard is a former Marine, and he and Easley immediately establish a strong rapport. Williams and Boyega play off of each other flawlessly here. Easley tells Bernard that he just wants the $892 that the VA owes him. When Bernard responses that his life is worth more than $892….Easley responds that his life is worth nothing. Ouch.

This brings us to the central point of Breaking. That overall, veterans are not treated as they should be. That the systems in place to assist them are tragically flawed. Easley is not trying to rob a bank, he is trying to make a point. Boyega is mesmerizing as Easley, we see him believably and passionately portray every spectrum of emotion. All of the performances are great, but he is just a cut above the rest.

Finally, I really love how intimate Breaking is, overall. The camera is most frequently focused on a close up of a character’s face. The actors so such an amazing job at conveying emotion in this film. I feel that this film could easily be adapted to a stage play. The settings and characters are few, and dialogue prevails over action.

Breaking is not an easy film to watch, it is very upsetting, which I believe is its purpose. However the message is important, and the performances are so strong that I do recommend seeing it.