BROKEN HORSES MOVIE REVIEW

Time has come for an Indian director to call the shots for a direct Hollywood movie. One of the most successful producers of our country, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, along with his favorite mascot Abhijat Joshi, have come up with a dark chocolate for an English movie this time. Broken Horses, set in the Western is about two orphaned brothers. When the younger brother goes off to become a violinist, the elder one stays to break it even with the man who killed their father. 

 

Vincent (Julius) has been part of a Stanley Kubrick movie, so he knows what acting is all about and here, the role of a murderer is a mystery. Banking on Buddy's disability of being easily manipulatable, Vincent turns him into one of his key assassins while Buddy works really hard to make sure his younger brother Jackey gets to live his dream of becoming a part of the Philharmonic. Growing up in the borders tells you about the hardships, brotherhood, sacrifices and of course leading a life of solitude.   

 

Tom, Todd and John head the cinematography, editing and the music department respectively and wisely. Vidhu and Abhijat have come up with a theatrical story with a deceiving screenplay. Broken Horses, from the very first frame is more like a mystery unwrapped without tearing it hard. Be it the resemblance maintained in the kid and the grown up version of Buddy or the ageing of the characters, the film has maintained a grammar. This is that film you would expect to happen in real. This is that film you'll envy for being driven by love.

 

When life is full of dreams and aspirations, here is a tale of two brothers respecting each other’s love. When the elder one shares his very first paycheck with his younger brother, the younger brother decides to payback by putting his life at stake to save the sibling. When it’s all about slowly unraveling the story, things get dirty and nostalgic. The beauty of the film is the performances by the brothers, Chris (Buddy) and Charlie, (Jackey) who has earlier acted with Chris in Alpha dog. Having lost their parents at a tender age, the major conflict of the story is to take Buddy along with Jackey to New York and make him give the best-man speech in a tux for his marriage. 

 

The film might bore the majority, but if attention is paid, it is a convincing anecdote of two brothers trying to escape a no rules environment and live a prosperous life. Villains and double-crossers can't be nice to you and hence there are sudden transitions in the film. 'I promised the young interviewer, I won't utter his name'. With these dialogues uttered, the film comes to the denouement. World is filled with amazing people and bad people equally; Broken Horses is one such story. 

 

Credits to Vidhu/Abhijat's dialogues and the depressing screenplay (intended), the film is slow but gripping and calm yet jarring. When you await the hope to shine, fate is too dark and haunting. Broken Horses will be that film where you know the end, but you still want to watch how and when it ends. The first ever Hollywood film to be written, produced and directed by an Indian, Broken Horses ride fast and dive into the sea.