Review: Based on a harrowing true story, ‘Breaking’ showcases John Boyega in an award-worthy performance.

BREAKING

*A version of this review originally appeared on AWFJ.org. To see more of their coverage of Breaking click here!*


Director Abi Damaris Corbin brings to life the true story of Brian Brown-Easley. John Boyega plays the real-life ex-Marine who, in a last-ditch effort to get the money the VA owes him, threatens to blow up a Wells Fargo with two female managers inside with him. Breaking is an intense thriller that keeps your heart in your throat from beginning to end. It is one of the most extraordinary stories of principle I’ve ever seen.

Performances across the board are magnificent. The women in the film elevate the complexities. Connie Britton is Lisa Larson, a news producer with whom Easley speaks in great detail. Like all of her roles, she is a solid addition to the cast. Olivia Washington plays Cassandra Easley, Brian’s ex-wife. A woman in an unthinkable crisis attempting to protect their daughter, Kiah, Washington is fantastic.

Selenis Leyva plays bank teller Rosa Diaz. She is the audience. Her fear is palpable. Coming from her role on Orange is the New Black, Leyva swaps prison sass for an entirely different brand of vulnerability. Nicole Beharie is a grounding force in Breaking. Her calm strength reminds you to take a breath between scenes. Her arc is breathtaking.

In one of his final roles, Michael Kenneth Williams plays Sargent Eli Bernard, the police negotiator. Williams’ relatable nature is of utmost importance. His chemistry with Boyega is imperative.

John Boyega presents the audience with a masterclass of human desperation. Each beat screams off the screen, even in his silence. This man has clear signs of PTSD, but his sincerity and circumstance have you rooting for him. The emotional nuance blew me away as Boyega is simultaneously patient and commanding. This performance deserves every award possible. You cannot ignore it.

Abi Damaris Corbin and cowriter Kwame Kwei-Armah understood the stakes in telling this story with urgency and respect. The social commentary about this country’s despicable treatment of our veterans could not be louder. Breaking is a story of one man’s dignity, but it is also an undeniable megaphone for tens of thousands of men and women being placed on the back burner every day. The system is disgraceful. Shockingly, these incidents aren’t more frequent.

Equally as relevant is that this story did not need to play out this way. Beharie’s character speaks directly to this issue, asking Easley how long she has to keep her son away from the news stories. Suspects of color are never treated the same way as white individuals. Breaking is yet another glaring example of racism. The final minutes of the film will rattle your soul.


In Theaters August 26th, 2022

 

The trailer for Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘DETROIT’ is here

Annapurna Pictures has released the first trailer for the upcoming film DETROIT and we have it for you!.

From Kathryn Bigelow, the Academy Award winning director of THE HURT LOCKER and ZERO DARK THIRTY, DETROIT tells the gripping story of one of the darkest moments during the civil unrest that rocked Detroit in the summer of ‘67.

The movie stars John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Jason Mitchell, Hannah Murray, Kaitlyn Dever, Jack Reynor, Ben O’Toole, Joseph David Jones, Ephraim Sykes, Leon Thomas III, Nathan Davis Jr., Peyton Alex Smith, Malcolm David Kelley, Gbenga Akinnabve, Chris Chalk, Jeremy Strong, Laz Alonzo, Austin Hebert, Miguel Pimentel, Kris Davis, with John Krasinski and Anthony Mackie.

DETROIT – in theaters on August 4th, 2017

Watch the teaser trailer for ‘The Circle’ starring Tom Hanks, Emma Watson and John Boyega

EuropaCorp has released a BRAND NEW TEASER TRAILER for The Circle Based on the international best-seller by Dave Eggers, The Circle is a thrilling modern morality tale starring Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, and John Boyega.

As she rises through the ranks of the world’s largest tech and social media company, The Circle, Mae (Watson) is encouraged by company founder Eamon Bailey (Hanks) to live her life with complete transparency. But no one is really safe when everyone is watching.

Directed by James Ponsoldt, The Circle will be in theaters on April 28th, 2017

Official site: http://wearethecircle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreTheCircle/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeAreTheCircle
Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/WeAreTheCircle/

Hashtag: #TheCircle

Review: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ *MINOR Plot Spoilers*

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It’s been a decade since the world has been graced with a Star Wars film and over thirty years since the original cast has been on screen, so to say that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the most highly anticipated film of the year would be an understatement. Now under the Disney brand, the film begins a new trilogy that will hope to capture the wonder and admiration of the original films while helping to heal the wounds of that the prequels left. Director J.J. Abrams takes the helm of the nostalgic walk  thru the galaxy with a cast of old friends and some new ones. Ladies and gentlemen the Force is indeed awakened.

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****From this point on I must caution to a few plot points that may be seen as mild spoilers. Proceed with caution*****

Taking place thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the First Order has risen from the ashes of the defeated Empire and are looking to once again take aim at destroying the Republic. Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) controls the First Order with General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) controlling the fleet and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), his powerful apprentice knowledgeable in the ways of the Force, leading the search for a map that can spell the end of the Jedi forever. The Resistance is also looking for this map as well as General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) sends her best pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to the planet of Jakku in hopes to find the coveted map. After encountering the First Order and fearing capture, Poe puts the recovered map into BB-8 and sends his far from the fight.

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Rey (Daisy Ridley), a young scavenger from the planet, finds BB-8 and agrees to help the droid get back to it’s master. With the help of Finn (John Boyega), a defected First Order Stormtrooper, and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), the mission to get the map to the Resistance has begun. Many mysteries surround this group of companions and the fate of the galaxy is in their hands, with the First Order hot on their tails, can the group complete their mission and save the Republic, while securing the future of the Jedi?

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Nostalgia aside, Star Wars: The Force Awakens stands on it’s own as a wonderful addition to the Star Wars universe. Director J.J. Abrams captures the magic of the original trilogy and adds a wonderful mix of humor, action and drama to complete his sci-fi masterpiece. Newcomers Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and John Boyega have staked their place as fan favorites in this vast collection of memorable characters and leave you excited for future installments in their stories. Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis and Adam Driver awaken the dark side with intense precision and capitalize on all that was great about the Empire and add their unique personalities to enhance the First Order and it’s villainous ways. The franchise is truly in good hands with this new guard. My one and only grip was with Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma. The character was set up to be a complete badass in this storyline but was underutilized. Let’s hope we see more of this unique character in the future.

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It was such a pleasure to see Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Mark Hamill back on screen reprising their iconic roles. No matter if they were on screen for a moment or for the duration of the film, each added to the enjoyment of the film in their unique way and brought back memories of my childhood that I was so happy to revisit. I am so very much looking forward to the next chapter in their stories.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the movie event of the year and one not to be missed by Star Wars fans and novice alike.

Stars:

4 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

No

Trailer

New International Trailer for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Featuring New Footage is Here!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has completed principal photography. ..#TheForceAwakens #StarWarsVIIThe Japanese trailer has debuted for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and we have it for you below!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens  is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and features a new generation of swashbuckling heroes and shadowy villains, as well as the return of fan-favorite smugglers, princesses, and Jedi.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, the highly-anticipated movie stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18, 2015

Character Posters for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Featuring Han Solo and More!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has completed principal photography. ..#TheForceAwakens #StarWarsVII Lucasfilm‘s has released character posters for the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens featuring Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa, Daisy Ridley’s Rey, John Boyega’s Finn and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, you can check them out in the gallery below!

Tickets to the highly anticipated cinematic event are now on sale everywhere tickets are sold. For more information, visit http://StarWars.com.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters on December 18th

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Empire Reveals Their Upcoming ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Covers

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has completed principal photography. ..#TheForceAwakens #StarWarsVIIEmpire magazine has released a look at their two covers for their upcoming winter preview issue which will feature Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Each cover features the warring sides of the force with the first showing the dark side featuring Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, Domhnall Gleeson’s General Hux and Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma and the second featuring Daisy Ridley’s Rey, John Boyega’s Finn and Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron.

Check em out below!

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‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Comic-Con Reel is here!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has completed principal photography. ..#TheForceAwakens #StarWarsVII

Fans at San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H were treated to a special look behind the scenes of Star Wars:The Force Awakens by director J.J. Abrams, producer and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and writer Lawrence Kasdan. The filmmakers were joined on stage by cast members Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford to the surprise and delight of fans.
At the end of the Hall H presentation, the entire Hall H audience of more than 6,000 fans were all invited to continue the celebration and join cast and filmmakers at a surprise Star Wars Fan Concert. The San Diego Symphony performed the classic Star Wars music from John Williams at the Embarcadero Marina Park South.
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in theaters December 18th, 2015!