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I Was Broken
This movie, a two man drama and spinoff of the prodigal son story without the father, contains some powerful acting and has an air of pathos that never seems to get dispelled. The prodigal brother has an alcohol problem and spent some time in the slammer. The older brother is a Godly man but is haunted by the death of his wife and child. Both were and are still impacted by an event from their past, a mystery that unfolds through the showing of the story. Some of the scenes that provide the viewers with clues are understood better in hindsight. I think this movie will be appreciated even more during the second viewing.
If you crave snappy and witty exchanges between characters or fast paced action, you won't get your daily dosage with this movie. The first conversation occurs about eighteen minutes into the film, so you have to watch this movie and not just listen. There are six scenes in which Hannah Porter, a female vocalist with an ethereal voice, sings while the brothers drive their vehicle along the highway or in the desert or perform another action. That gives the viewer several minutes of jogging in place as far as plot development goes, which you might find excessive. If you don't like the girl's voice, this could impact your assessment of this film, since the songs are so prominent.
I thought the movie was very well done, especially from a cinematic viewpoint. The shots of the ocean are awesome. The close-ups of the prodigal's face capture his expressive eyes which reflect his troubled life. The storyline, although simple, was a moving one. I thought Brian Rife was especially effective in playing a part of a man lost in his own world, needing help, direction, and love but having trouble accepting any of them. Without his beard, Rife reminded me of a cross between Marlon Brando and James Dean. I'm not going out on a limb and prophesying that this guy will be a star, but if it happens I will not be surprised. Martin Noufer held up his end nicely as the elder brother. This movie definitely was touching. I think that if the pace had been a bit faster and there had been a few more pleasant and memorable moments in it, this movie would have been in the awesome category. I recommend that everybody check it out.
Check out the trailer here. This would be a great movie for churches to screen, especially for small groups for recovery issues.
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