Customer Reviews

Broken Vows

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was sort of your typical story of a priest who falls in love and doubts his beliefs and needs time to understand how he really feels. It is set apart by the marvelous acting of Tommy Lee Jones who so very well conveys his feelings of confusion and guilt after being intimate with a woman he loves. Although, David Strathairn, appears very briefly he is excellent, as usual, and draws you in to wanting to know more about this character, his life, his inner most feelings, and his strength, which is apparent by the dignity he portrays in dying. I thought the screenplay was very good, and wish it were a book, so I could really feel everyone's emotions. This was really a magnificent piece of acting by Jones, who was so readable, by putting his feelings right out there. It was too bad, there were no flashbacks with David Strathairn, as his too brief appearance was saddening. He, I think, is too overlooked in his craft. His ability to make himself believable, in any part he takes on is truly amazing. In 'Broken Vows', he draws you in as he is the first actor to really appear, and the camera, doesn't leave his face and his mesmerizing eyes. it draws you in, and he dies, almost immediately. Annette O'Toole is adequate as the love interest, but I would have expected a deeper love interest for Jones. I don't want to give away the ending, which is the only plausable finale. I highly recommend it, not for the storyline but the truly good and convincing acting. It sets the movie apart from others with the same theme.

This made-for-TV movie had an intriguing premise: Tommy Lee Jones as Father Joseph, a Catholic priest who by chance gives last rites to a dying man, the victim of a stabbing. Taken aback by the man's complete peace with himself and no anger toward his murderer, Jones embarks on a journey to find out more about the man and his religion-less "faith" to answer his own doubts about his efficacy as a priest; along the way he meets the dead man's ex-love, played by Annette O'Toole. Yes, this movie is somewhat formulaic - a murder mystery and a love story with enough forbidden fruit to go around, but it's a fun watch because Jones brings life to his roles no matter the terrain; the problem is his love interest - O'Toole seems forced as a perky artist and an independent modern woman; the chemistry could have been better with an actress more natural and less contrived in her motivations. All in all, if you're a Tommy Lee Jones fan, this is a great summer beach novel as TV fare.

If you're a Tommy Lee Jones van, you'll like this movie. It's not an action packed movie but very entertaining - especially for women. I suppose guys would classify this as a "chick flick".