WATCH: The Broken Circle Breakdown

“The banjo kind of snarls, which reminds me of punk.” It's a surprising and intriguing line, perfect for a bluegrass love story set in Belgium. Didier is a dusty, opinionated musician who looks like he's spent more than a few nights sleeping in his cowboy boots. Elise is a spirited tattoo artist who literally wears her heart on her sleeve. They've both got a hopeless crush on Americana and they fall hard and fast in love. Before long, Elise has found her singing chops, joined the band, fallen pregnant, and by the time the baby comes they've made an off-grid life for themselves in a restored country house.

But not in that order. And it's not ruining anything to tell you that their folksy, alternative fairytale turns into a very mainstream nightmare when their little girl is diagnosed with cancer. Like its characters, this film is unafraid of a bit of drama, but the brazen highs and lows are expertly balanced by director Felix Van Groeningen's cutting back and forth between past and present. The soundtrack tempers the melodrama, too. As Didier and Elise careen through the head-rush of their sexual entwining, or are faced with the sick, sad truth of terminal illness, they are bound by their band's bluegrass renditions of traditional American music and covers of Allison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, Bruce Springsteen, and Townes Van Zandt. The songs provide more than heartbroken story lines and a cool soundtrack—they're the spiritual core of the film; the prevailing life-force that stays true when our two lover's beliefs get broken down. 

This film is worth it for the music alone, and it's definitely a strong point of difference from other dramas, but what really gives The Broken Circle Breakdown an authentic resonance and genuine style is the hypnotic romantic tension and terrifyingly believable performances of its two lead stars.

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