The Broken (2008) The Brøken (original title)

Director:

Sean Ellis

Writer:

Sean Ellis (written by)

Release Date:

15 November 2008 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Face your fears.

Plot:

In London, the radiologist Gina McVey organizes a surprise birthday party to her father John McVey with her boyfriend Stefan Chambers...

Plot Keywords:

Radiologist | Broken Mirror | Car Crash | Mystery Woman | Nightmare

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Lena Headey	...	Gina McVey
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Dr. Robert Zachman
Melvil Poupaud	...	Stefan Chambers
Michelle Duncan	...	Kate Coleman
Asier Newman	...	Daniel McVey
Richard Jenkins	...	John McVey
Daren Elliott Holmes	...	Simon the Garage Manager
Howard Ward	...	Jim
Damian O'Hare	...	Anthony
Dennis Banks	...	Doorman
In-Sook Chappell	...	Crash Nurse
Peta Longstaff	...	A&E Team
Ziad Alyan	...	A&E Team
Lucy Bingham	...	A&E Team
Marie Flood	...	A&E Team
Jessica Stratton	...	A&E Team
William Armstrong	...	Dr. Kenric
Kubrick Ellis	...	Ginger the Dog (as Kubrick)
Andrew Havill	...	Dr. Myers
Lobo Chan	...	Harry Lee
Ronnie Fox	...	Breakers Yard Man
Tara Hugo	...	Mary
Stan Ellis	...	Stan the Janitor
Rita Davies	...	Old Lady in Underground
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Darren Baba	...	Thug 1
Natasha Alderslade	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Tom Collier	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Elle Crocker	...	Michelle Duncan's body double (uncredited)
Chris Wilson	...	Nervous Passenger (uncredited)

Directed by
Sean Ellis

Writing credits
Sean Ellis		(written by)

Produced by
Lene Bausager	....	producer
Yves Chevalier	....	associate producer
Franck Chorot	....	executive producer
Marshall Leviten	....	line producer
Winnie Li	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Guy Farley

Cinematography by
Angus Hudson

Film Editing by
Scott Thomas

Casting by
Alex Johnson
Bonnie Timmermann

Production Design by
Morgan Kennedy

Art Direction by
Gerard Bryan

Costume Design by
Victoria Russell		(as Vicki Russell)

Makeup Department
Darren Evans	....	hair designer
Darren Evans	....	makeup designer
Shama Sahzayasin	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lisa Jordan	....	post-production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Booth	....	first assistant director
Ben Harrison	....	second assistant director
Charlie Reed	....	third assistant director
Christian Rigg	....	additional second assistant director
Amit Shekhar	....	scheduling first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter Fentem	....	property master
Adam A. Makin	....	set constructor
Steven Morris	....	dressing props
Dave Reed	....	construction manager
Toby Riches	....	stand-by props
Scott Rogers	....	props
Chris Ulusele	....	lead stand-by props
Oli van der Vijver	....	props
Graham Ward	....	stand-by art director

Sound Department
Fabien Devillers	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sean Hannah	....	assistant sound editor
Sue Harding	....	foley artist
Kourenkov Konstantin	....	sound assistant
Nigel Mills	....	sound designer
Jean-Paul Mugel	....	sound recordist
Yves-Marie Omnes	....	boom operator
Seydoux Raphael	....	dubbing recordist
Piste Rouge	....	sound: studio
Bruno Seznec	....	sound studio manager
Kallis Shamaris	....	supervising sound editor
Carlos Sotolongo	....	adr mixer
Rowena Wilkinson	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
John Rafique	....	special effects supervisor
Darren Robinson	....	prosthetics technician
Nick Smith	....	special effects technician
Chris Watson	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tom Collier	....	visual effects supervisor
Stefan Drury	....	head of film effects: Lipsync Post
Lorea Hoye	....	visual effects producer
Carine Poussou	....	visual effects coordinator
Abigail Scollay	....	digital compositor
Bruno Sommier	....	visual effects shooting supervisor
Paul Venn Stirling	....	digital compositor: LipSync Post
Samantha Tracey	....	visual effects coordinator
Aurélie Villard	....	digital artist
Sheila Wickens	....	digital compositor
Blake Winder	....	digital compositor: LipSync Post

Stunts
Tom Aitken	....	stunts
Ray De-Haan	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Kirsti Abernethy	....	first assistant camera
Jacob Barrie	....	daily second assistant camera
Jeremy Braben	....	aerial director of photography
Julian Bucknall	....	additional first assistant camera
Stephen Burridge	....	still photographer
Sara Deane	....	second assistant camera
Brian Fawcett	....	electrician
Tom Gates	....	gaffer
Angus Hudson	....	camera operator
Andrew Nolan	....	electrician
Toby Plaskitt	....	grip
Iwan Prys Reynolds	....	focus puller: second camera
Dan Thomas	....	best boy
Dan Thomas	....	rigging gaffer
Mark Tillie	....	still photographer
Brian Udoff	....	camera trainee: location shoot
Derek Walker	....	Steadicam operator
Fran Weston	....	second assistant camera
Julian White	....	gaffer
Sally Wright	....	camera trainee

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Devika Dass	....	additional wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Sophie Chatin	....	assistant editor
Ornella Del-Vecchio	....	digital conformation
Carlos Domeque	....	assistant editor
Jane Hodge	....	assistant editor
Frederic Jupin	....	digital conformation
Marjolaine Mispelaere	....	colorist
Anita Ribeyrol	....	digital video conformation

Music Department
Matt Biffa	....	music clearance
Jeremy Murphy	....	protools engineer
Andrew Pearce	....	orchestrator
Adrian Thomas	....	musical associate

Transportation Department
Barry Goodwin	....	unit driver

Other crew
Carrie-Ann Banner	....	assistant production coordinator
Neil Bhatt	....	unit publicist
Shelley Marie Brown	....	promotions
Stephen Burridge	....	Directors Photographic Assistant
David Campbell-Bell	....	assistant location manager
Ghislaine Cauet-Martinotto	....	production coordinator
Jennifer DiZio	....	assistant to producer
Francesca Dowd	....	production coordinator
Courtney Getter	....	runner
Michael Harm	....	location manager
Will Higo	....	epk cameraman
Christian Holden	....	production accountant
Aisling Lloyd	....	runner
Jo Sanders	....	assistant production accountant
Aurelia Thomas	....	assistant location manager

Thanks
Mathilde Charpentier	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Gaumont (presents)
• Left Turn Films
• Gaumont International
• Thriller
• Ugly Duckling Films

Distributors

• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Films (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• After Dark Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Libero (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2009) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (both cropped to 1.78:1)
• Atlantic Film (2009) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2009) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Golden Scene (2009) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Koch Media (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Odeon (2009) (Greece) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• SP Films (2009) (Argentina) (all media)
• TVA Films (2009) (Canada) (all media)
• Versus Entertainment (2008) (Spain) (all media)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2010) (Portugal) (all media)

Special Effects

• Elements Special Effects
• Lipsync Post (visual effects)

Other Companies

• ARSONAL  poster design (uncredited)
• Buzz Factory, The  promotions
• Helicopter Film Services  aerial filming services provided by
• Movie Lot, The  security
• Panavision UK  aerial camera - Panavision Genesis
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services

Also Known As:

"The Brøken" - France (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence, brief sexuality/nudity and language

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

France | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Japan:PG-12 | USA:R | France:U (with warning) | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:16 | Germany:16 | Argentina:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bayswater, London, England, UK

Company:

Gaumont

Trivia:

The inventive spelling of the title reads somewhat silly in Norwegian and Danish since the Ø in broken is a letter in the alphabet in these languages and sounds like the "u" in "burden". In addition "brøken" is the Norwegian and Danish word meaning "the fraction".

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Whenever it shows the car-wreck (and the replays thereof), the "person" in the driver-seat is obviously a dummy.

Quotes:

[Dr. Zachman is questioning Gina about her boyfriend, Stephan]
Dr. Robert Zachman:And you live together?
[Gina slightly shakes her head as if she's disturbed and unsettled by the question]
Dr. Robert Zachman:What are you holding back, Gina? Tell me what's wrong.
Gina McVey:I don't think Stephan is my boyfriend.
Dr. Robert Zachman:Well, we all have different relationships until we find the one.
Gina McVey:No, he looks like him, but he's not him.
Dr. Robert Zachman:Right. When did you first notice this change? After the accident? Do you think then, that maybe he really is Stephan and that you're just still confused about the events surrounding the crash?
Gina McVey:Dr. Zachman...
Dr. Robert Zachman:Robert, please.
[...]

Soundtrack:

Klettar

Manages to scare while simultaneously tickling the intellect.

They say that a broken mirror is sure to cast seven years of bad luck (or bad sex, as a character quips early on) to those who break it, and although such a concept is deeply rooted in mystic superstition, there nevertheless remains an eerie, foreboding core to its warning. Perhaps coincidentally however, is the much more tangible, but inherently linked concept of the doppelgänger, who is said to appear either as an omen of sickness or death. Indeed, both share common principles with the mirror even producing doppelgänger's of a metaphysical sense, but both also share the undeniable clause for weariness or suspicion. Of course, in our daily lives, thinking with clear mind-frames and perspectives, such concepts are folly best left to those with padded walls. Yet, brought into the domain of film, there still remains a sense of wonder about them that allow the extra-dimensional nature of the medium to truly shine.

The Broken, which comes from up and coming writer/director Sean Ellis who last year wooed me with the surreal and abstract romance Cashback, not only indulges in these somewhat supernatural concepts tenfold, but does so in ways that the horror movie does so best. Taking a leaf from the genre's forefathers David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock, with just a little nod here and there to the American Romantic macabre writer Edgar Allan Poe, Ellis here crafts a feature which borders on the surreal once more, this time on a much more subversive and subtle level. If you had told me that this young film-maker would go on to make a horror movie the following year after Cashback, I would have laughed it off—and yet, I would have had to choke back that laughter after catching a glimpse of what is offered here.

It all takes place in the busy city of London, as a family settles down for a small celebration of the father's birthday and retirement. During a warm, friendly dinner, the conversation is abruptly drawn to a silence when a mirror suddenly crashes down onto the floor, much to the shock—and then bemused laughter—of those there to witness. From here on in however, the laughter is far and few between from those family members. The Broken dabbles in and out of the idea that behind each of those family members' mirrors, lies an arguable alternate reality, or at least, person (read, doppelgänger), who is given form and begins to walk their own reality as if it was their own. Of course, it's certainly an unsettling idea that someone could infiltrate your own existence and somehow seek to replace you, and you can bet Ellis does well to capitalise on that sense of threat and claustrophobia.

Rather than stoop to genre clichés and derivatives however, Ellis subscribes instead to the roots of the more artistically-driven horror movie focusing largely on atmosphere and suspense with plenty of mystery in tow. By approximation, The Broken can not possibly have had any more than perhaps two or three hundred lines of dialogue inherent to its story, and so the amount of detail then that is pushed upon creating a slow-moving, but very intricate analysis of tone and eerie aesthetic, is potent. The result is a horror movie that doesn't necessarily feel like one that is out to scare you, but rather, unsettle you—make your mind race, and question the reality of what is going on within the characters' minds. Indeed, as opposed to simply delivering cheap "boo" moments, Ellis opts to get behind enemy lines, and scare from within, albeit cerebrally.

What is most interesting about The Broken however -as is usually the case with the best examples the genre has to offer- is not how Ellis manages to unsettle you, but how he gets you thinking. Behind the cold exterior and horror-movie façade of The Broken lays an intriguing allegory that sets about detailing the death of a person, or persons, through self-inflicted means. Be sure that I am not referring to suicide, or anything of a literal, substantial meaning, but purely of a psychological, or metaphysical sense. In the world of The Broken, central character Gina (Lina Headey) is on the verge of committing to a relationship; her father (Richard Jenkins) facing old age and retirement—it could be argued that many of the people within The Broken's story are facing the points in their lives where they symbolically end, with said doppelgänger therefore representing that very shift from life to death by their own hands. From this perspective, the ending to the movie attains a very poignant, and clear message.

Whether or not the viewer takes such a message away from what Ellis has to say here however, is beside the point. There still remains plenty of value of The Broken's story with or without the added benefit of subtext or allegorical meaning. The movie does have its fair share of problems most of which reside within the extremely slow-paced second act, which perhaps throws in a few too many indulgent scenes here and there with dubious characterisation; but such flaws are minor in comparison to those that we as audiences are so accustomed to when being treated to the average modern horror fare. Overall, The Broken is nevertheless a fine psychological analysis of ourselves as human beings, and how easy that barrier from sanity to insanity can be broken, with or without the accompanying seven years of misfortune. It's compelling, gripping and actually manages to scare while simultaneously tickling the intellect—now when's the last time a horror movie did that? - A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)