We watched an advanced showing of Broken Lines at the Boston Jewish Festival followed by a brief discussion with the Director, Sallie Aprahamian. The question & answer period were relatively brief which may bear some reflection regarding the audience interest in the movie. The plot revolves around a deepening relationship between Jake (Dan Fredenburgh and B (Doraly Rosa) both of whom are involved with significant others. In B's circumstance, it's her husband (?) who has been crippled by a stroke (Paul Bettany and well acted). In Jake's circumstance its a gentile fiancé who appears loving but is too caught-up in her wedding plans to immediately detect any threats to their relationship (Olivia Williams) The complications deepen as the romance develops leading to complicated and depressing consequences. An under-current theme is Judaic and familiar circumstances arising from the death of Jake's father (the first scene, so not a spoiler) which appears to be a factor binding Jake's relationship with B The acting was for the most part professional and believable. The script written by the two lead actors was tight although the final scene appeared out of sync with the balance of the script. The Director indicated that considerable debate went into the final scene and it appears that the wishes of the authors outweighed the instinct of the Director. It was my biggest issue with the movie. Overall however, I felt that the evening was well spent and would recommend this movie with the caveat that it is romantic tragedy, not comedy.
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