Broken Kingdom

As a rule, "small"-"human" dramas are not my first choice as a genre, not in books, not in theaters, not on TV, nor on the big screen. I rarely find an "action-free" or non-Sci-Fi, non epic-narrative drama which truly pulls me into its narrative. Mayhap it's my seeking escapism in the art I consume, or the fact my life experience have left me a little "bored" with the small, trivial and daily dramas we're all surrounded by... Memorable human dramas on film are quite rare with me, as such selective a viewer that I am. However, as with any rule, naturally there are exceptions... A few examples of such "small" dramatic narrative movies that actually had such an impact on me would have to be: "The Stone Angel", "Regarding Henry", "Door to door", "Kes"... and now that I've watched it - "Broken Kingdom" is the newest addition to the list...

"Broken Kingdom" portrays two intertwined stories, of no epic proportion, with a truly "small", "human" and "humane" narratives. on one hand - the display of buds of humanity and affection in a sea of cruelty in a poverty stricken 3rd world country, and on the other hand - the daily bearing of a tragic unspoken memory in PC-America.

The cast is spectacular, and I found that the visual quality of the film is impeccable - very aesthetic and precise. All in all, for the low- budget this production had, it is truly a remarkable product. The writer-director-star, Daniel Gillies, did a very good job, under all 3 of his "hats".