Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Emily 'Skunk' Cunningham witnesses Mr. Oswald beating fragile Rick Buckley in his driveway at their cul-de-sac. Oswald found a used condom in his oldest daughter's bed and he forced her to come up with a name. The condom wasn't her's and picking Rick was a lie. Rick is released from jail and he doesn't press charges against Oswald. Rick starts to be a recluse in his parents' home. They are afraid of Oswald and Rick is hospitalized. Skunk's au pair Kasia is dating Mike (Cillian Murphy). Her father Archie (Tim Roth) tries to talk to Oswald but he's a vicious bully and so are the three Oswald girls. Skunk starts her new school. Mike is her teacher and she gets bullied by Sunrise Oswald.This has a dreamy chipper quality with the darker material. Young Eloise Laurence is a charming lead. Cillian Murphy and Tim Roth are the big names with supporting roles. It's a quirky coming-of-age movie that keeps peppering it with darkness. Skunk is reminiscent of Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird" in both looks and function. My main reservation is the redemption of Mr. Oswald. It's undeserved and convenient all at the same time.

The British independent film "Broken" broke through in the UK in 2012 with a quite a splash, winning a number of awards. The film however has sort of flown under the radar as it wasn't released in the US until last Summer by Film Movement. Its the dramatic coming of age story of an 11 year old girl affectionately named Skunk. She is played by first time actor Eloise Laurence, who gives a remarkably real and thoughtful performance. This is also the first feature film for director Rufus Norris.Skunk lives within a cul-de-sac in suburban London with her Dad Archie, played by Tim Roth, and older brother Jed. Her mother ran off with another man years back. They have a live in nanny, Kasia, who serves as a sort of mother or big sister figure. Cillian Murphy also puts forth a strong performance as Mike, Kasia's boyfriend and Skunk's crush. The stories of the three families within the cul-de-sac are all compelling and well integrated into Skunk's world. We open with Skunk talking to Rick, an older friend but mentally unstable neighbor, who out of nowhere get a savage beating from Mr. Oswald, the fiery father of a trio of foul mouthed daughters who are also without a mother.Adding to the many difficulties of adolescence, Skunk also has diabetes. She could be bitter and angry about her situation, but is very resilient and strong. She is adventurous, inquisitive and full of wonder, where as the girls next door are petty, vile, and just plain unpleasant. The two families are dealing with similar issue in very different ways. While the third family, Rick's Family, tries to keep to themselves and protect there son from the world. Rick is a volatile man child. He has a gentle and sweet exterior that fights with his inner rage and turmoil. After becoming to much of a handful for his parents to deal with he is put up in a hospital. Skunk see the good in him, the longing to be normal and accepted. The final 30 minutes will keep you on the edge of your seat with a an intensity that is hard to find. I know that sound a little clichéd, but the filmmakers took such care in developing the story and building its characters that the ending just works on every level. You won't be disappointed.

A previous reviewer said he rated this film a 10 and bawled for over an hour after the film, but i wonder if it was actually this film he watched ? odd moments are worthy of note but for me this was so boring and bland i struggled to keep watching , and found myself constantly hoping for something better to happen but it never did :( It is true what that reviewer said that if you like these types of films you'll enjoy this , but then the same can be said for any type or genre. Big performers hardly lit the TV up with gritty or hard hitting performances in any way and personally i felt really let down when the film finished . Judge for yourself but don't be led into thinking this is great or even good as the rating may suggest ,but more so that it flatters to deceive :)

For all the horror films that depend on zombies, vampires, werewolves and the like to place a fantasy make believe world before us to frighten us, none is as terrifying as this very realistic, extraordinarily well written, well photographed, well directed and well acted gem from Film Movement. It is a British product (BBC) and seems to have had a minimal response in the theaters. Now more available to the public, hopefully this brilliant work will attract enough attention to place it in the categories for many awards it so justly deserves. But more important, it may expose many people to the tragedies that surround us and are too often unnoticed or misunderstood.In North London there are three families whose houses form a cul-de-sac: Archie (Tim Roth, never better) is a single father whose wife left him to raise 11 year old insulin dependent, adventuresome tomboy Skunk (Eloise Laurence) and her brother Jed (Bill Milner) and their housekeeper Kasia (Zana Marjanovic); The Oswalds – Bob (Rory Kinnear) is an out of control easily enraged father of three loose and trashy daughters Susan (Rosalie Kosky), Saskia (Faye Daveney) and Sunrise (Martha Bryant); and the Buckleys – Mr. and Mrs. Buckley (Denis Lawson and Clare Burt) and their severely mentally challenged son Rick (Robert Emms). Bob Oswald finds a condom that one of his daughters had been exploring, jumps to the conclusion that Rick has raped his daughter, and beats Rick mercilessly – a sight Skunk witnesses. This cruel error is the first play in the downward spiral of this profoundly sad tale of how these three families interact. There are a few subplots – Kasia is dating a local school teacher Mike (Cillian Murphy) as well as trying to convince Archie to marry her, Skunk is befriended and has her first rocky encounter with a boy named Dillon (George Sargeant) and they find an empty trailer house by the nearby junkyard where massive machines toss old cars around like unwanted bugs, one of the Oswald girl's secret pregnancy ends badly, Rick Buckley is blamed for every odd happening and is institutionalized, Skunk's friendship with Rick involves her in tragic consequences, and more. Every member of each family is broken in some way and the manner in which these pieces of shattered lives influence each other makes for some of the most profoundly moving scenes and themes ever filmed.The story is based on the novel by Daniel Clay, adapted for the screen by Mark O'Rowe, and Rufus Norris makes his impressive directing debut. The entire cast is first class – this is the first film experience for Eloise Laurence and she is stunning, as are Tim Roth and Cillian Murphy and the rest. For this viewer this is one of the finest movies of the past year, a film so challenging and exquisitely crafted that it should be seen by everyone. Highly Recommended.