Customer Reviews

Not Easily Broken [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a fan of Taraji P. Henson ("Hustle & Flow," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), I was curious to see what she would bring to her role as a wife dealing with a struggling marriage. My own involvement in "Fireproof," as the one who wrote the novel based on the screenplay, gave me appreciation for this important subject, and yet I'd heard little about this film. My expectations for the overall story were low.

What a nice surprise! Without being crass or gratuitous, the script allows these characters to portray real problems in believable ways. Soon after the rosy opening, in which they tie the knot with the bishop's wise words barely sinking in, they find their marriage crumbling beneath financial pressures, different goals, and a drought of physical intimacy. Dave wants a child, while Clarice is career-minded and wanting to build a comfortable lifestyle--even if it means "faking it till you make it." Dave compensates by coaching Little League, an activity that Clarice fails to understand and which allows the mother-in-law to push her way into the home.

With things already rocky, a tragic accident leaves Clarice in physical therapy and feeling bitter. Her therapist, an attractive white female, turns the head of Dave's male friends, and the bond that he builds with her becomes threatening to Clarice and to their hopes of ever rebuilding the love they once had for each other.

The acting is superb, particularly on the part of Morris Chestnut, Taraji P. Henson, and the lady who plays the mother-in-law. There's some nice comic relief, and there are a number of powerful scenes that don't always end with nice tidy resolutions. The message is one of hope and encouragement, but it doesn't feel too preachy or glib. It's a satisfying and worthy tale on a number of levels, and not one to be easily dismissed.

T.D. Jakes previous novel Women Thou Art Loosed was adapted into animpressive film, five years and his follow up film Not Easily Broken isjust as good. Directed by the underrated Bill Duke whose previous work includes Hoodlum and Deep Cover, Not Easily Broken tells the story of a couple (Morris Chestnut & Taraji P. Henson) whose marriage is crisis.After a car accident, injurers Henson's character things only get worseand their marriage but more importantly their faith is tested. I watchedthe film with my wife. It was a treat to discuss the film with her onthe way out of the theater to our car. And during the ride home we cameto understand a little more about each other. The acting considering the religious material is first rate, Morris Chestnut displays the sameleading man charm he always does and fresh off her Oscar Worthy turn in Benjamin Button, Henson does wonders. Jenifer Lewis steals every sceneshe's in as the mother-in-law, and Kevin Hart provides tons of comicrelief as a life long friend to Chestnut's character. Not Easily Brokenis the kind of film that most critics will tear apart. It could be therelack of familiarity for most critics when it comes to the gospel genre.Take for example the similar marriage in crisis themed film Revolutionary Road which is currently in release and stars Kate Winslet& Leonardo Dicarpo. Winslet just won a Golden Globe for her role in Road, while critics roasted Henson's performance in Not Easily Broken.While Winslet's character differs slightly from Henson's in Not Easily Broken both give performances that any women single or married canrelate to. While Not Easily Broken does have an overlapping religioustheme, anyone no matter what your religious beliefs willing to givethis film a chance will be pleasantly surprised.

And I only say 'predictable' because after seeing the trailers/commercials, you see the movie is one of those 'doesn't miss what she has until it's gone' type of things. Chestnut plays a husband who has fallen on hard times in his career & only longs to have children, while his wife, Henson, plays a corp.ladder-climbing woman who can't tolerate anything less than the 'all that 'life-style & has no time for children. But instead of trying to work on the relationship w/her hubby, she uses him for her whipping post, only compounded when her 'mother from hell' arrives (J. Lewis is ALWAYS amazing in her roles - this fit her perfectly!)& they kinda mother-daughter tag team him until he snaps under the weight. THEN when Henson suspects hubby of leaning toward someone else who'll give him the time of day, she FINALLY sees the bitchiness of her & her mother's ways (Duh!), she goes after her man & begs forgiveness. I like 'relationship' movies w/a message, so this was all good. Nothing wrong w/food for thought.....

The couple in this movie appear to have a good marriage. The husband has his own business, and he's a volunteer coach for a little league team. His wife is in real estate, and she's moving up the career ladder. But the husband wants kids, and the wife feels children would get in the way. Plus, she is resentful of the time he spends with the little league team. The husband also doesn't seem to take his wife's feelings into consideration. After a car accident, their marriage experiences cracks that threaten to pull them apart.

It did seem to me that too much emphasis was put on the wife having to compromise. Overall, the subtle Christian message about keeping marriages strong is good. However, the script should have put more emphasis on the husband making bigger efforts to meet his wife halfway.

I love stories like this and overall the movie was okay I just felt like it opened a lot of topics and ended with only one resolution to one issue. For instance, does his friend ever grow up and let go of his playerish ways? What happens to the mother after she is kicked out? Is the mother daughter relationship better or do they stop talking? Does she find the strength to forgive or does she remain bitter? Does the woman learn to cope with her loss? Will she be okay or does she wither away from the pain? I had so many questions afterwards and I felt the movie could have done a better job at tying it altogether. Good movie with a good message but lacking in some aspects.

You must buy the DVD so that you can watch the making of the movie in the special features section. The making of the movie is just as enjoyable and edifying as the movie, maybe more so. Also the movie was visually beautiful with a lovely and sensitive soundtrack. I really enjoyed the intelligent and sensitive narration from a man's perspective by Morris Chestnut. Thanks Bishop!

I'm really surprised Not Easily Broken is better and *very* different than I went in expecting.

Let me mention something very important first- when you read the description you'll probably think to yourself "Oh, it's one of THESE type of movies involving a person struggling to get by after a horrible car accident".

However, the storyline definitely progresses well beyond that and in fact, the storyline morphs into something very very different so the original subject never comes back into the equation again. The actual accident only occupies the first 25 minutes of film.

After that the plot switches to being about the relationship stuggles between the husband and the wife, and particularly the nurse who originally takes care of the wife after the car accident. She ends up playing a bigger role later on because of a VERY shocking turn of events (which I won't spoil). Not to mention the wifes mother who moves in after her daughters accident and becomes one of the more important characters.

There's also a subtle message of hope and not ever giving up through even the worst of times, and it's done in such a way that it's not overbearing or unnatural. It's done just right.

Great acting, good storyline, and just a movie worth watching.

This movie was great I heard about it when it first came out but never went to see it. Well about 3 months I was looking for something to watch so I picked it up. And I am so glad I did it was a great movie and it spoke on so many things that go wrong in the world of the married folks. I would recomend this movie to anyone also it had some good laughs

While it certainly has flaws, there is something so raw and beautiful about `Not Easily Broken' that I can't seem to shake. Maybe it's the naturalness with which the actors fall effortlessly into their roles. Maybe it's the relatable feeling I get when watching this marriage break and re-set. Maybe it's the fact that `Not Easily Broken' avoids being `easy' and just tells it like it is.

The story is that of a young married couple (well, middle aged I guess) who are starting to crack. Dave, once with large dreams of playing professional baseball, now coaches little leaguers after a severe injury crushed his goals. His wife, Clarice, has become the family's primary breadwinner, growing her real estate dreams into something substantial. The couple is constantly at each others throats due to diverting goals. Dave, having separated himself from the life he once wanted to live, now wants a simpler life, one with children. Clarice is still very much into her own needs, wanting to build her career and travel without the heavy weight of `family' dragging her down. The couple has drifted apart, mentally and physically. Still, their problems seem minor when compared to some of their friends (who happen to be lodged in a messy divorce) and so it seem manageable. When Clarice is injured in a car accident, things come to a head in their marriage. Clarice's bossy and overbearing mother comes to live with the couple, and her two-cents start to wage war between Clarice and Dave, especially when Dave begins to seek emotional comfort in the arms of another woman.

You will never doubt that Dave and Clarice will work through things, but getting their will be a rocky and at times heartbreakingly realistic road.

As far as faults go, there are a few. I had a similar issue with Woody Allen's `Husbands and Wives'. For some reason, these films tend to be slightly biased. I mean, who isn't going to side with Dave here. I think that the film should have made it a little more even, or at least peppered in a few faults. And one cannot say that Dave forming feelings for Julie was a fault because, well, his wife and her mother would have driven ANY man to seek comfort elsewhere, and I'm telling you think from experience. But, I will also say, from experience, that no story is that one sided. Everyone has faults that contribute to the downfall of a marriage. So, it's minor in this state (because this film, unlike Allen's, isn't trying to make a broad statement on the dynamics of marriage) but it's worth noting. I also found the way the film wrapped things up to be a bit of a sell out (when it happens you will know what I mean), it just felt so Hollywood, especially when this film appropriately avoided `going there' for the most part. I hated the narration (unnecessary) and I thought that the film (at times) felt like a Made for TV Tyler Perry Movie, which made me cringe a bit, but thankfully the film managed to reign in that overly preachy dynamic that Perry lustfully lathers over every frame of his overpraised films.

The acting, especially on the parts of Morris Chestnut and the BRILLIANT Taraji P. Henson, is great. Even Jenifer Lewis (who is really nothing more than a cliché here) is exceptionally `raw'. I loved Kevin Hart (hilarious, even when delivering the preachy lines of dialog) and I thought that Maeve Quinlan understood how to temper her performance so as to seem real and approachable as aposed to staged and `manufactured' (as most `other women' in these films can come across).

In the end I recommend this movie. Like I said, it has flaws, but overall this movie really delivers a powerful punch that cannot be ignored. Marriage is a very controversial subject, but it is one that deserves to be tackled without fear. For the most part, `Not Easily Broken' manages to do that.

This movie is well done! It is not preachy, but it does deal with a lot of tough issues to include tragedy, broken relationships, faithfulness when there seems to be no reason for it, the importance of giving of yourself, and even death. The acting is good, the direction is good, the story line is excellent and not completely predictable. If you are in a tough place in life, or you know someone who is, you may find this movie to be very encouraging. Highly recommended!