Upon the death of their lovely young daughter, Elise and Didier, a lovely couple, who share many similarities and love each other, struggle against the ruin of their relationship.
It's the music that really brings Broken Circle to life, an excellent collection of old-timey country classics and originals that reconnects the broken bits of the story and resonates with its deepest emotions.
I wish the patience and grace of the director's techniques in the film's strongest non-musical moments were matched in his depictions of the amazing music on display.
A significant amount of redemption arrives in its final moments, which find a way to bind itself with the heart of the picture we've been observing for nearly two hours.
Breakdown gets the music right and has the benefit of strong acting, but its unapologetically melodramatic plot has a tendency to throw everything at you but the kitchen sink.
Invigorating musical elements and the lead actors' potent chemistry can't entirely protect this tragic relationship drama from its encroaching shortage of subtlety.
Constantly you worry that the movie will collapse under the strain of more raw emotions but it rarely falters and never lapses into the predictable or the sentimental.
