Breaking - Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

JOHN Boyega gives a sensational performance as a former Marine, suffering from PTSD, who holds up a bank with two hostages in a bid to get his stolen benefits repaid.

Based on the true story of Brian Brown-Easley, the film chronicles the central protagonist’s ill-fated attempts to claim back the money he’s owed by the VA, while also raising awareness of his plight - and that of countless veterans forgotten by a system unwilling to recognise what they have given for their country.

Boyega channels despair, rage, desperation and confusion - rivalling Denzel Washington at his best - while also imbuing his character with a sense of decency and love in both his interactions with his female hostages and his young daughter.

There’s strong support, too, from Nicole Beharie and Selenis Leyva as his hostages, and from the late Michael Kenneth Williams, as the hostage negotiator and fellow ex-Marine who sympathises all too easily with Boyega’s plight.

Similarities have inevitably been drawn between Breaking and Al Pacino’s Dog Day Afternoon for its mix of bank robbery and social commentary, and they’re not too misplaced.

But director Abi Damaris Corbin’s movie demands attention in its own right for raising awareness of yet another damning moment in US history, a failure of so many systems, and the implications it still carries for modern life.

It also stands as another fine example of Boyega’s commanding screen presence and of Williams’ similarly towering acting ability. It should also ensure that, fittingly, that Brown-Easley’s voice remains heard.