Breaking Point

Flickers of sophistication. Otherwise, too long, too sentimental, too unselfconsciously overplayed. Berenger almost pulls off the sympathetic broken man character, but without enough cheap action to prop him up, he pretty much melts into the part. The premise is stock standard enough that a brainless monkey should be able to make a movie around it, but the script is so unbelievable, and oddly structured (moments of grainy flashback flicker sporadically through the plot, gradually advancing an all too obvious and predictable back story), with characters introduced in tossed-off, sitcom-ish scenes, never to reappear again, that its hard to get through more than a scene or two without groaning. Still, there are flares of inspiration - or rather, imitation with skill. But they are transitory moments - literally. As my first English teacher said when she was looking for something nice to say about one of my essays: "Good transitions!"

I couldn't resist the thought of Busta Rhymes, Armand Assante, and Tom Berenger all acting in the same movie, so I just had to rent it.

I found the plot of the film pretty confusing, so pardon me if I describe something incorrectly. Berenger plays a cocaine-addicted attorney who has a beef with the D.A., played by Assante. Busta Rhymes, meanwhile, is a tough-guy gangster who has a thug (Sticky Fingaz) that seems to be working to stop him. If I could get more specific, I would.

Like I said, the plot was confusing. I didn't understand how the two stories came together, but I was interested nonetheless. The plot was compelling, and the characters made it worth watching.

The acting was remarkably good. Berenger does a really great job, I cared about his character and found him the most interesting of the group. Busta turns in a very good performance as a total scumbag. He was definitely hateable. Sticky Fingaz and Armand Assante round out the main cast, with equally memorable roles.

Ultimately "Breaking Point" was a bit confusing but compelling. You'll like it if you don't go in expecting too much.

Overwritten and Overwrought City Crime Movie that tries to be way too much. Rapper Busta Rhymes Steals the Show and is a Monster on Screen from the Brutal Beginning. His Gang is Reprehensible and Responsible for the Movie's Needlessly Thick Story, Characters, and Plot. They Deserved Better because their Vile Existence is Placed in this Otherwise Sappy Screenplay.

Tom Berenger is Miscast as a Shrinking Lawyer that Carries a Depressing and Despair of a Past throughout the Movie that Weighs the Thing Down and is the Film's Biggest Misstep. The Courtroom Scenes and Political Corruption are also Weak and that is Deadly Considering the Movie Decides to make that its Central Conceit.

Worth a View for some Very Disturbing Gang Related Behavior and a Fittingly Down-Beat Tone, but it All is Overdone and Smothered by its Lesser Failures and the Heavy-Handed, almost TV-Drama Pedestrianism.

Even Busta Rhymes actually fits the bill. It's not just a rapper in costume, he actually has something to do. Mr. Fingaz (from Onyx fame, if anybody remembers) is not as good, but holds his own. Of course you also get "real" actors in it. One of them being Berenger. And while he is bloated (weight wise), he still has some charisma left to hold and star in a movie.

Don't get me wrong this isn't great by far, but it is really entertaining with some nice action scenes and a story that might be trying too hard, but still has some punches left. Armand Assante is almost theatrical (especially towards the end), but he works too. If you like these sort of movies, you might be enticed to watch it

Breaking Point (showed as Order of Redemption in my cable-TV) was the crime drama movie which could make everyone go to the deepest of darkness. The movie blasted viewers with violence, drugs, and especially, women's abusive which more than a half of women in the world could disgust this film.

The plot is good in the side of drama, how the protagonist fight with his cruel past and the "bad bad" drug. I have to credit Tom Berenger for his performance in drama scenes. Rather than showing himself the "war-hero" as in his many films, Berenger was very good in expressing Steven Luisi a very poor character. Although, in the other part, I think he was just "an old man" with nothing special.

But the things that I was very surprise is the acting of Busta Rhymes. I had to praise him for his outstanding role which could made him advances to "Hall of Shame" (Shame just means antagonists). Every time he was shown on the screen, he could make "Al Bowen" to be the "over-the-top" nasty mobster. I believe that, as long as his character exists, everyone will want to "break him into pieces".

For other casts, Sticky Fingaz could made me pity with his fate. He was pretty good with the climax scene. Armand Assante is also well-done for his arrogant dubious "Marty Berlin".

However, I think the film crew cannot come out right with the mix of violence and drama sides which is the drawbacks of Breaking Point. They boost too much violence only to sell bad guys' role. Another thing is that the last scene is too silly and needless.

As overall, this movie is OK for shaking your heart and make you wondering "how the world is so bad", but it doesn't make me pleased as the worth- watching movie.