Broken

By Pete Bauer • Nov 9th, 2006 • Category: Comedy

Broken, calling itself a “dark, lo-fi comedy about head trauma,” is one interesting piece of filmmaking. The story unfolds as the fragmented memories of Todd Kellogg, played by Paul Phipps, as he hops through various thoughts and situations, the sum of which add up to his life at the moment. The film was shot on beautiful 16mm film and, when it is shown in its pristine state, is something beautiful. However, director Hollingsworth discards the temptation of presenting his work in such a premiere visual way and instead, and rightly so, affects the image from scene to scene with numerous digital effects and layers in order to represent the mental state of the protagonist more accurately. It’s a daring choice that pays off.

As we travel through the story, unsure of what is real or what is memory, Hollingsworth layers in a mystery of hidden messages that is the glue that holds the fragmented pieces of the plot together. Without it, the story would be nothing more than a long abstract cinematic exercise, but the on-going mystery, including an ingenious use of “Missing” posters, and the discovery it provides, binds the storyline and ultimately makes the resolution of the film so satisfying.

The cast is very solid, especially Phipps as Kellogg and Dick Boland, who plays Kellogg’s brother. Their relationship is so real and wonderfully portrayed. Being the last of eight children, most of which were boys, I felt their conversations, especially the information not vocalized yet understood, to be true and real, even within story told in such a disjointed way.

Broken is a great example of what could be and should be tried at the microcinema level. It is different and unique and appears to illuminate the director’s vision quite nicely. It’s definitely worth checking out.

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