Watch Brakes

Brakes is an unconventional romantic-comedy film from 2016. The movie follows the relationships and breakups of nine couples living in London. Each segment of the film depicts the different moments in a couple's life, right from the beginning of their relationship to the very bitter end, with each couple ending their journey in their unique way.

The movie stars Julian Barratt and Kelly Campbell, portraying one of the couples from the film. Barratt plays the role of Noel, and Campbell portrays his partner, Diane. Seb Cardinal also features in the film, adding his quirky humor to the already eccentric plotline.

The storyline is presented in a unique and innovative format. The movie comprises nine individual segments, each segment featuring a different couple, with their story running concurrently with the others. As a result, the film creates an engrossing panorama of relationships and love, with no single narrative taking centre-stage. Each relationship portrays a real-life situation or challenges that couples in London could face in their daily life. From infidelity, commitment issues to age differences, and the different stages of a relationship, there is a segment in the film that everyone can relate to.

The couple's stories vary from endearing to heart-wrenching due to the organic portrayal of director Mercedes Grower. The movie transcends the norm found in romantic stories and highlights the various possibilities for the end of couples' relationships. There are no fairy tale endings here, and no relationship is untarnished. The movie’s tone contrasts with the typical Hollywood romantic-comedies, and the narrative is both exciting and engaging.

The director went ahead and carefully crafted the aforementioned nine individual stories carefully. The couples ranged from young people exploring early love, to older people dealing with long-term relationships. The film portrays love in its various forms, the highs and the lows, and the kind of disillusionment that can occur due to long-term, committed relationships.

The genuine nature of the movie is what sets it apart from other romance films that tend to portray idealistic, almost idealized relationships if not fantasy-like. However, Brakes is a modern-day portrayal of real-life relationships, and the characters are relatable. The characters are far from perfect, and the narrative doesn’t shy away from the flaws of the participants. The human interactions vary, from humorous to embarrassing, to difficult, and everything in between. The director somehow managed to intertwine all these different emotions, making Brakes a rare depiction of a love story.

The cinematography and the photoshoot here are remarkable too. The movie's setting is in London, with various scenes taking place at different locations, highlighting the diverse nature of the city. The camera angles kept changing, focusing on the main characters' emotions, allowing the viewer to become engrossed in the story. The music also adds another layer to the narrative, it helps in setting the appropriate tone and enhancing the emotions that come with each segment.

In conclusion, Brakes is a movie that every couple or anyone who has experienced a relationship could relate to. The movie is unique and refreshingly real, accurately portraying the complexity of relationships while keeping the viewer interested without sugar-coating the problems that couples often face. The humour throughout the movie is well-placed, unforced, and balances well with the realism of the storyline. Every couple in the film will make the viewer reflect on their relationships, experiences, and highlight that love isn't always perfect. The movie is a modern-day love story not suited for the faint-hearted, but a movie worth watching with the right person.