I recently came from theaters to see the thriller, Breaking, starring John Boyega, Nicole Beharie, and the late Michael K. Williams. Breaking was based on the true story of US Marine Corps veteran, Brian Brown-Easley, who held up an Atlanta Wells Fargo for money. The story revolves around themes of mental health, grief, and actions people take when in need and in desperation. Boyega plays the role of Brian Brown-Easley who holds up a bank due to financial despair. The story begins with Easley being accosted by the police, where he then leaves and wonders around town before calling his daughter, played by London Covington. He then enters Wells Fargo and approaches the teller, Rosa Diaz (Selenis Levya), handing her note stating that he has a bomb. The manager, Estelle Valarie (Nicole Beharie), takes notice of this and tells patrons and her co-workers to leave the bank, leaving only her and Diaz inside with the Easley.
After going on a rant, he proclaims that he is in need of money which is owed to him by Veterans Affairs, and that if he does not recieve this money, he may be on the verge of homelessness. The film offers the viewer a series of flashbacks into the mind of Easley, to give us awareness of not only his mental state, but the conflict that arose prior to him attempting to hold up the bank, such as his bout with PTSD alluded to by his time in the military. As well as what is percieved to be delusions he has as he states that his brother put a hit out on him for $20,000. He has threatened to blow up the bank until his demands are met. He calls for a negotiator and that all of the major news networks broadcast him to show the public how he was been wronged by the VA.
We see that he was denied his money by the VA due to an error with the school he was attending, which was the fault of the school, not him owing them money. This showed how despite him serving for his country, he was denied proper services to prevent him from being homeless and the right to money owed to him. The tellers attempt to just give him money, but this shows that the money was not exactly was Easley wanted, but it was the principal behind it. He didn't just want anybody to give him the $892 he was owed, which if he did, he would've just robbed them and left. It was the fact that the VA was the one who owed him and the denial of said benefits despite the fact he served for his country and the error was actually with the school.
He finally gets a negotiator, in which he explains his demands and the issues he is having. Before he finally decides to release Diaz and Valarie, he is taken out by a sniper, which earlier in the film he explains that he does not forsee himself making out of the bank alive, in spite of whatever decision he made. The ending of the film shows that since the incident, his family has yet to recieve the $892 from the VA, showing that he basically died in vain.
The film was somewhat of a slow burn at the beginning, but picked its pace up towards the middle. All of the actors gave pretty good performances and the message as well as the plot. I would rate this a 9 out of 10.
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