Customer Reviews
Even Ray Winstone couldn't save this one.......... - By: Sizzle, 03 Jul 2008 
I rented this on the premise that Ray Winstone doesn't appear in too many poor films &, lo & behold, this proves to be one of the exceptions to that rule.
Jude Law's acting, & indeed his character, is devoid of anything approaching real life but, to be fair to him, the whole plot & direction are so far off beam it's scary.
There are too many snags in this film to mention &, just in case you do want to watch it anyway, I wouldn't want to spoil the "experience" for you; but can you imagine an eastern European hooker nicking someones car & then returning it a few days later clean,tidy & with an affectionate memento of her?
No, neither can I.
Best avoided.
Watch it to see what it could have been - By: B. W. Jenner, 08 Jun 2008 
For seven years I lived in Paddington, & I worked with the regeneration people, so when I realised that this film was alll about redeveloping a seedy neighbourhood, I was hooked. The issues around turning a decayed area into a modern toytown, with concrete & glass, is a long & deep subject.
The UK melting pot is also a complex subject, & it's great to see a director like Anthony Minghella trying to get to grips with it. But whereas a film like Dirty Pretty Things tells a story involving similar subjects in a brisk & engaging way, AM piles on the metaphors & neuroses like Stephen Poliakoff. While you admire the ambition, you feel like switching off & giving up every ten minutes.
Michael Haneke makes me feel what it's like to be in a city - films like Hidden & Code Unknown - express ideas in a subtle & powerful way. Jude Law talking about talking & the problems of communication is just too clumsy. Some of the dialogue is very pedestrian in this film, & much of the action is rather forced.
The Ray Winstone policeman character is just ridiculous, the probation or youth officer is pathetic & the prostitute also jars. AM tries to imagine an urban community, but he doesn't bring it off.
I love Binoche, & in this film, she reminded me of a friend I've got who worked in a café in Paddington. I knew some Bosnian girls who had tough times, too. The problem was that we had to have an exposition of the backstory, & that didn't feel natural. Will's (Jude Law) dilemmas didn't ring true, & the relationship between the two reminded me of a pretentious pastiche of a French film.
The ending is an embarrassing dog's dinner.
Still watching the deleted scenes, I saw that AM was trying to create a panorama of a city at a certain time. The use of a traceurs (beloved of pop videos), the wonderful modern office, the pictures of regeneration mean that it will depict an 'era'. I did get a sense of 'new' London.
In 1996 I worked for a City law firm, & nobody had a computer on their desk. 12 years later & you have these stunning minimalist offices. And there has been a sense that any problem will yield to modern design & investment. Breaking & Entering rather undermines this notion.
Watching, the making of documentary, it featured Anthony Minghella & Sydney Pollack, as the two big cheeses in this film. Sadly, of course, both men passed away in the last few months.
Loving it - By: K. P. Dean, 07 Apr 2008 
First saw this film at the cinema, & it remains my favourite film of 2006. It is well acted & very subtle in it's message. Well, I liked it a lot, but see for yourself. well worth the money on DVD.
It is refreshing to watch a British film set in London that isn't all about East End gangsters. - By: Natasha L, 07 Feb 2008 
It is refreshing to watch a British film set in London that isn't alll about East End gangsters. In a film with predominantly female characters, Jude Law's character needed to have a bit more commanding masculinity about him for balance, however, Jude played the character of Will in his typical manner of playing the sensitive male in touch with his feminine side. Not a bad film though.
Disappointing and disjointed film - By: Bluebell, 01 Feb 2008 This film never gelled for me as a coherent story with believable characters. The point of the film took ages to emerge as the narrative meandered along from one disconnected scene to another. Juliette Binoche was good in her part showing a range of emotions, but the Jude Law character was colourless & uniform through the film. I found the final scenes of the film, in which the problems of the main characters were resolved, unconvincing.
