AMB Reviews

Not Easily Broken: 7.5/10 Stars

Release Date: January 9, 2009

Content Advisory: Rated PG-13 for sexual references and thematic elements. Several couples kiss, sometimes more passionately than others. A woman tries to seduce her husband by dressing in a skimpy nightie and lighting candles. A scattering of mild swear words (a-word, d-word, h-word). Talk of God, salvation, infidelity, and redemption.

Review: 

Though many will think of this film only as a "Christian" movie... it's really not. Though God and salvation through Him are addressed throughout the film, this movie is really all about not letting love die even in the midst of hardships...

In Short: 

One day, not really knowing anything about this movie, besides the obvious points, my parents let me know that they would be attending a showing of the film. Being the movie reviewer I am, I decided to tag along with my best friend. I knew it was based off of a Christian book, and although my parents were expecting a little to similar to "Fireproof," they really didn't get anything much like it. This is a touching, if unoriginal movie that, although occasionally makes references to God and His salvation, is not really a "Christian" film. That being said, no matter if that's a good thing for some or a bad thing for others, "Not Easily Broken" does show us the importance of love and commitment. 

In Full: 

"Not Easily Broken" could easily be called another cheap rip-off of "Fireproof," by any of those who have not yet seen it. But, as I discovered after watching it... it really isn't. They have their similar traits, but in the end, "Fireproof" falls more into the "Christian" category, while "Not Easily Broken" doesn't. It documents the story of a couple who, after having a grand wedding, have, after 10 years of marriage, lost many of the feelings they once had for each other. And when the wife is seriously injured in a car crash, her husband begins to slowly yet steadily have feelings for her physical therapist, Julie. From there on, it's a hard journey of love, trust, and commitment. Anger is let out, true feelings are exposed, and the whole while, the couple will have to try their hardest to make things work, even against impossible odds. 

This film deeply explores the topic of infidelity, showing us the pain and damage it can cause in a relationship. This movie proves that, even when a relationship is crumbling, the best option is to try and fix it, rather than split apart or even... cheat. Through many screaming fights, tears, and startling revelations, it is finally revealed that maybe, the next time a huge fight breaks out, you should sit down and work it out, rather than just storming off and leaving everything unfixed. This is a movie that would probably affect married couples more so than kids and teenagers, though I, being 15 myself, thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Maybe it was just me... maybe it wasn't. 

Knowing that many of these low-budget films, including "Fireproof," "Facing the Giants," and "Thr3e," casted horrible actors, some worse than others... I wasn't expecting much more in "Not Easily Broken." What I got? Well, quite the opposite actually. Though I had not heard of a single one of the actors in the film, I found them all very decent, with some sticking out to me more so than others. The two main characters were casted quite well, and though I sometimes found the leading male character verging on the edge of monotone and emotionless, in the end, he was able to make it up. The acting was definitely a thumbs-up, as surprising as that may sound. 

All of this being said... this film was not perfect. Though it was most certainly touching and heart warming, it is not all that original. The plot in itself is simple. Maybe a little bit too simple. A husband seems to be leaning towards infidelity and together, the married couple must work out their problems and make things work. Sound familiar? And "Fireproof" isn't the only film that borders along these lines. Many of those timeless old cliches were also used, such as the mean and nagging mother who just makes their life harder. In the end, as great as the morals are that are taught in this movie, its director (screenwriter, maybe?) just can't seem to avoid the cliches.

What does all of this say? I would probably have to recommend this movie to married couples. It's perfect for that "date movie," especially if you're working through some problems in your marriage. That being said, if you are a teenager reading this review, you may be an oddball like me and end up enjoying this film just the same. It all depends. Through its imperfectness and unoriginality, "Not Easily Broken" is able to still remain powerful and touching, sure to tug on your heartstrings. Some will find those tugs light and barely even noticeable, but for many out there... that tug could just be hard... hard enough to impact you, and just maybe... your marriage.