The Broken Mirror

THE BROKEN MIRROR promo trailer from Mondo Macabro on Vimeo.

Director - Claude d'Anna (Macbeth, Foursome)

Starring - Max von Sydow (Flash Gordon, Game of Thrones), Micheline Presle (Call Me Victor, The Blood of Others), and Francois Arnal (Pentimento)

Release Date - 1975

Genre - Drama/Mystery

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Every year for as long as I remember I've spent the entire month of October binging as many horror titles as possible. Most of the time I'm able to at least watch one movie a day but there have been some Octobers in the past that I was able to watch almost 90 films. Sadly, this year I may not hit my normal 31 films for the month due to the fact that I've watched a few non-genre titles expecting them to be horror releases. This time around it was another Mondo Macabro release that I still really enjoyed. A few weeks back Mondo Macabro sent over the Broken Mirror and Unquiet Death double feature for review. I was unfamiliar with both of these films and couldn't wait to check them out. I started with Broken Mirror and while it wasn't horror, I still enjoyed it. I wan't to thank Mondo Macabro for sending these over! 

      The film follows Anne who restores classic paintings. When she becomes pregnant and has a visit from her mother, she starts to remember a strange painting she had in her possession some time ago but doesn't remember what happened to it. As she starts to uncover the truth about the painting and the mystery around it she finds herself being followed by a stranger. 

      Broken Mirror is one of those films that you really appreciate as your watching it but once the dust has settled and you look back to reflect on it you find yourself impressed with the film but don't see yourself revisiting it. I really enjoyed the film and will recommend it to anyone who likes international films or mysteries. It's a beautifully shot and acted film but it doesn't have the replay value I often look for in a film. The acting in this one is great. The entire cast does a phenomenal job but Maire-France Bonin is the star of the show as the pregnant artist who restores old paintings. She carries the entire film on her back. She delivers an emotionally draining performance that really hits hard with the viewer. You put that in a mystery, and you have yourself a film that really pulls the viewer in. The story for this one is not as predictable as most other mysteries. While I did enjoy the premise and the overall film I do have an issue with the film's pacing. The scenes are extremely uneven, and a lot spend too much time on cinematography and random shots of the sets over the actual story. Don't get me wrong, the film is beautifully shot but this does take away from the story. Finally, this is not a bloody film. The main focus of this one is the protagonist and the mystery surrounding the strange painting. Overall, Broken Mirror is a beautiful film that has a great cast and a solid story. It could be trimmed down sum but isn't that bad of an experience as is. I highly recommend it