Breaking & Entering (DVD-Video)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B-     Extras: C+     Film: B-

 

 

I am no big fan of the work of director Anthony Minghella, but I was surprised that his 2006 film Breaking & Entering is a nice step forward involving a strange lover triangle of sort between a computer business owner (Jude Law in one of his better roles) and two immigrant women (Juliette Binoche and Robin Wright Penn, both doing impressive accents) as they try in integrate against the stress of children and Liv (Penn) is the one he is married to.

 

He meets Amira (Binoche) when it turns out her son is among the teens who have elaborately broken into his business (under the guidance of an adult using them) and it leads to an affair between the two of them.  The script is surprisingly smart, nicely paced and believable, with the characters well written out, then so well performed by the actors.  Ray Winstone even surfaces as the more streetwise father of one of the other teens.  A pleasant surprise all around.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 was shot by Benoit Delhomme, A.F.C., this is a pretty decent transfer of the film.  Naturally shot with few enhancements, only the DVD format itself seems to hold the picture back.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has some fairly good music led by Gabriel Yared, while the mix is subtle but decent with good dialogue and generally good recording.  Extras include six fairly good deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by the director, who also offers a feature length commentary, the original theatrical trailer and a making of featurette.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo