Broken Circle Breakdown wows Australian critic

Belgia film The Broken Circle Breakdown has opened in Australian cinemas, and has garnered praised from the venerable Melbourne daily, The Age. “Belgium may seem an unlikely source for a film built on bluegrass music, but the tragic trajectory of Felix van Groeningen's boho romance is constantly buoyed by a mix of classic and new bluegrass songs that is well-nigh irresistible,” writes film critic Stephanie Bunbury. “The story begins in a crisis that in a more commercial vehicle would herald a 'problem' plot: banjo virtuoso Didier (Johan Heldenbergh) and tattoo artist Elise (Veerle Baetens) learn their gorgeous small daughter Maybelle (Nell Cattryse) has cancer. Instead, it veers back to the sweet beginnings of their relationship, then forward (rather less coherently, unfortunately) to its awful collapse. The lingering effect, however, is one of finger-pickin' joie de vivre."