SXSW Review: This Movie is Broken

You can read more of contributor Laurie Coker's SXSW reviews and features at True View Reviews.

I do not like watching concerts on film or television. Just ask my husband. Unless the movie has some special draw, like that I want to share the experience with him because he loves music, I avoid concerts that are not live. I also have a huge problem with most music videos. This Movie is Broken, which is having its world premiere at SXSW, is basically a long, long music video with a tiny, interesting but all too brief story woven in between songs, performed in concert format by Toronto's famous indy rock band Broken Social Scene.

Directed by Bruce McDonald and written by Don McKeller, This Movie is Broken had me engrossed in the story of its characters, but since the film's main footage shows the band in performance, I felt frustrated and dissatisfied. However, I did like the story, what little there was of it.

The love story involves Bruno (Greg Calderone) and Caroline (Georgina Reilly), a young man and woman who grew up together and are best friends, who wake up on his roof after a night of passion and who plan to attend a concert together the same night. Bruno wants to flesh out the relationship -- becoming more than friends -- but he only has one night, since Caroline is heading to Paris the next day. We also meet Blake (Kerr Hewitt), Bruno's male friend, and the trio ends up at a concert by Broken Social Scene. The music is far too loud, the conversation far too quiet and frankly too limited and when Bruno does profess his love, Caroline bolts, leaving the two fellows to attend the after-concert party alone.

Truth is, I liked the relationship aspect of the film, even when it went terribly and weirdly off the rock, but the music, while actually very good, overwhelmed it to the point of utter distraction. Yes, Broken Social Scene's music is pleasing, but as appealing as the songs are, they're far too long for a film that is supposed to involve a story too.

The four people I sat with for the screening ranged in age from 16 to say 20 and one fell asleep -- in fairness she volunteers at SXSW and the schedule is grueling -- one was as frustrated as I, saying "This movie IS broken," another kept her mouth shut, and the last, the only male, enjoyed the experience a great deal, even explaining what I might have missed. I did not overlook any of the story really, not even entirely surprised at a shocking twist, but I simply wanted more story and less (and quieter) music.

I know This Movie is Broken will please fans of the band for sure. As a concert film, it is fine, but it is not slated as such, and as I said, I do not enjoy un-live music. It is supposed to be a dramatic love story. The story is decent and actually interesting enough, especially with the weird turn of events in the final scene. This is a case, however, where I appreciate the parts but do not like the combined end result.

Giving a grade for This Movie is Broken is difficult for me. If I give the concert aspect an B- and the too short story a C- (I needed MORE), then the average is C, so that is what I give it. Lame of me to calculate, but I think it helps to make my point.