70
Metascore
29 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83The PlaylistJessica KiangThe PlaylistJessica KiangWhile Felix von Groeningen's film, which centers around a couple whose child is diagnosed with cancer, could easily have strayed into maudlin territory, the deft, non-chronological structure and the constantly surprising, beautiful performances -- both acting and the musical -- elevate it well clear of any Movie of the Week associations.
- 70Village VoiceJon FroschVillage VoiceJon FroschThe Broken Circle Breakdown crashes as frequently as it soars, but the ache at its center feels real.
- 70The DissolveKeith PhippsThe DissolveKeith PhippsAt its best, The Broken Circle Breakdown has the feel of life as it’s remembered—moments out of time tethered together by the feelings of those living them.
- 60VarietyBoyd van HoeijVarietyBoyd van HoeijSophisticated cutting brings out the story’s complex emotional undercurrents, though “Breakdown’s” less convincingly scripted second half sputters more often than it shines.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe non-linear structure works extremely well, making the drama a bracing emotional roller coaster of feel-good/feel-bad turns.
- 60Time Out LondonCath ClarkeTime Out LondonCath ClarkeHeldenbergh and Baetens pull you in with committed performances – their raw pain and grief is totally believable. But all that honest, intense emotion is thrown away as the film outstays its welcome by 40 minutes or so, piling one tragedy on to another.
- 60Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearBoth Baetens and Heldenbergh do their best to sell the story’s ups and downs even when the narrative gets bogged down with science-versus-religion ranting, yet you’re still left with a movie a little too reliant on playing clawhammer on your heartstrings.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineFelix Van Groeningen's film owes more than a debt to the unwieldy narrative schematics of Susanne Bier's narratives.