The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012)

This reminded me quite a lot, at times, of "Walk the Line" (2005). "Didier" (Johan Heldenbergh) is a folk musician who believes in little but himself and his band. That is, until he encounters "Elise" (Veerle Baetens). She is a woman of quite profound faith and the two don't seem like they'll make a recipe for an instant hit. They do, though, and shortly afterwards a baby is on the horizon. He's not so keen, he doesn't feel ready (or even that willing) to be a father but have it they do, and its now that the storyline splits into threads that develop the tragic story that ensues and of their individual and joint approaches to the trauma they are both having to face. There's something honest about the portrayals by both here as they initially follow the predictable path of relation self-destruction, but as this story unpicks things at a more personal level we begin to know and to understand the characters a little better and comprehend their differing approaches to grief. The religiosity of his character proves quite a thought-provokingly potent conclusion with an on-stage rant that effectively summarises his lack of faith and that standard of powerful writing, prevalent throughout, demonstrates passion and disgust as well as love and affection. It's frequently quite intimately photographed and is not without a dark, earthy, humour, but for me, it is all about the concluding intensity - and that's worth staying on for.