Aloft (2014)

Written and Directed by Claudia Llosa
Starring Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent and Peter McRobbie

A woman who struggled as a mother has her past come back to haunt her when she encounters the son she abandoned 20 years earlier.

In a film where I assume you are supposed to empathize with the mother and some how understand why she abandoned her son, it achieves the exact opposite. Perhaps it is Jennifer Connelly's portrayal of the single mother, or even the writing, but the character seems to be nothing more than a whiny, stubborn woman who makes poor choices regarding her children and obviously has a favorite.

Despite the frustrating stupidity of Connelly's character, the director, Claudia Llosa keeps it interesting with it's artsy feel and beautiful cinematography. But that's not enough to raise the overall quality of the film.

Even though Cillian Murphy acted phenomenally, even acting circles around Jennifer Connelly when they shared screen time, his character was just dumb. He made choices that made no sense (i.e. cheating on your wife while she's at home watching your kid, with no other reason to other than the fact the woman was French and attractive. It just didn't fit the character).

The entire film felt like it was made to show the harsh landscape of living just out side the arctic circle. The story made no sense. What needed to be explained, wasn't explained. No one learns anything. There isn't a single character arc throughout. It's just plain boring, with the exception of a single five minute scene.

My Rating: 5/10

The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012)

Directed by Felix van Groeningen
Written by Carl Joos and Felix van Groeningen, based on the play by Johan Heldenberg and Mieke Dobbels with collaboration from Charolette Vandermeersch
Starring Johan Heldenberg, Veerle Baetens, Nell Cattrysse and Geert van Rampelberg

A religiously devout tattoo artist and an atheist banjo player obsessed with bluegrass music form an unlikely romance and instantly fall in love despite their differences. Years later, their daughter becomes ill, putting new strains on their relationship.

A heartbreaking story about the stresses of having a child with cancer, this film explores that terribly common scenario with a couple who have two separate views of the afterlife. In a brutally honest, yet with a hint of reverence, the filmmakers tackle such controversial topics as religion, stem cell research and the separation of church and state.

The two leading actors give painfully sincere performances, depicting the parents who may lose their only child. And the fact that the two performed the music throughout only adds to the impressive feat. The way the director uses delicately chosen songs to push the plot forward, while also giving more insight to where the characters are at emotionally, is truly a task that should not be overlooked. It is impeccable how well these songs say so much, yet don't bring the flow of the film to a screeching halt.

And the songs are pretty damn good, too.

One of the most unexpected thing in this movie is the performance of the little girl who plays their daughter. It is rare that a young actress such as herself can be convincing in their performances. I found myself thinking that they had hired one of their daughters to play her, but that was not the case. She just seemed so natural with them.

While the story is a heavy one and it may be hard to watch at times, "The Broken Circle Breakdown" is one of the more powerful films I have seen. And although it has only been about three years since it's release, I can tell that it is a timeless story that people will be able to connect with decades from now.

My Rating: 8/10