1/4/2024 0 Comments Broken roads netflix![]() Washington shifts between three principal settings of shattered grief, fearful panic and grim determination, but fails to bring much personality to any of them.Ĭonsidering the amount of ground covered in the plot, this is a curiously undynamic film that struggles to inject urgency into the protagonist’s life-or-death situation. But even so, for someone who has probably never seen much physical action beyond the gym, Beckett is remarkably adept at jumping off railings, rolling down mountains, running for his life and outmaneuvering trained killers - seldom slowed down by a broken arm in a sling or multiple gun and knife wounds. The filmmakers are careful not to turn him into some endlessly resourceful fighting machine in the Liam Neeson thriller mode. None of these supporting characters has sufficient definition to be interesting, leaving the burden entirely on Washington’s Beckett. Vicky Krieps shows up as an activist supporting the leftist candidate, who believes Beckett’s story and offers to help and Boyd Holbrook appears during the final act as an American embassy officer whose evasive answers should alert Beckett that something smells wrong. He starts to make connections when he recognizes the boy in a missing person poster and learns the kid is the abducted nephew of a political candidate gaining at the polls by promising an alternative to the country’s far-right ultranationalist movement. That encounter kicks off a pursuit across the region as he seeks help from hunters, beekeepers and the driver of a tour bus while narrowly escaping brushes with the crooked cop and trying to reach the U.S. When he returns to the scene days later, Beckett barely makes it out of the house alive, stalked by a female shooter (Lena Kitsopoulou) and Xenakis. But Beckett distinctly witnessed a preteen boy being ushered out of sight by a woman as he was coming to after the accident. The vehicle’s fall is broken by a dilapidated cottage, which Officer Xenakis (Panos Koronis), the cop who questions Beckett at a village hospital, assures him has been unoccupied for years. Sure enough, while driving on the twisty mountain roads at night, Beckett nods off at the wheel, sending the car hurtling over the edge with April thrown from the wreck. But it’s obvious from the ecstasy overload of their swooning mutual infatuation that a devastating loss lies ahead. They visit the ancient ruins of Delphi and joke at a taverna afterwards about finding their own Oracle of Zeus to consult. Washington plays the title character, a tech analyst from Ohio vacationing in Greece in 2015 with his girlfriend April (Alicia Vikander). And special mention needs to go to cinematographer Michael Moghaddam for his camera capturing the beauty of the countryside as well as composer Jimmy Gelhaar, whose score is an excellent accompaniment to the on screen story.Cast: John David Washington, Boyd Holbrook, Vicky Krieps, Alicia Vikander, Panos Koronis, Maria Votti, Lena Kitsopoulou Supporting work by Bush, as a young girl Aldo meet, along with Rolanda Watts as a kindly neighbor and Ross Marquand as someone from Aldo’s past, helps carry the film along. ![]() Kirkland, who has somehow always managed to remain under the radar, is equally impressive as she deals with the same emotions Aldo is experiencing. It’s a strong performance from an up and coming actor. But with a smart screenplay by director Chambers and a talented cast, led by former Oscar nominee Kirkland, the story maintains its credibility throughout.Īs Aldo, Bristow (who bears a strong resemblance to a younger Joaquin Phoenix) does a fine job dealing with the various emotions he’s called on to express. Aldo has to wonder how long the next nine months are going to seem.Īn intimate drama, with only a few main characters, “Broken Roads” could easily have gone down the maudlin road that bigger budgeted and similar stories (the Jane Fonda/Lindsay Lohan stinker “Georgia Rules” comes to mind) have followed. Though they are technically family there is nothing but the memory of a dead woman to bond these two together. As his mother left home at a young age and never returned Aldo has never met Mrs. As he is not yet 18 he is sent away to the country to live with his maternal grandmother, Mrs. But when he and his mother are involved in an auto accident that takes her life he finds his world turned upside down. This week it was my pleasure to watch the first feature from writer/director Justin Chambers, a drama called “Broken Roads,” which is opening in New York City on February 19.Īldo Russo (Bristow) is a happy kid of 17. One of the pleasures of this job is getting the chance to take a look at some of the first work a filmmaker does, especially when it’s done well. ![]() I’m sure I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating.
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