Mourning Has Broken (2014)

Directed by: Brett and Jason Butler
Country: Canada

Movie Review: “Mourning Has Broken” is a micro-budgeted independent comedy drama that comes from Canada by the hand of the Butler Brothers - writers, directors, producers and editors. Despite the efforts to succeed and the good performance of Robert Nolan, “Mourning Has Broken” seemed a montage of little situations that were never sufficient to draw my attention. The story follows a man who realizes his wife his dead next to him, on their bed. Mourning is never easy and Nolan’s character found a particular way to deal with the matter. Uncontrolled and ravaging, he starts long monologues while driving mad, as well as confronting everyone around him who are misbehaving. A few situations have to do with his car – being nagged by a neighbor while washing it; provoking a woman while was parked in her private spot; getting a ticket while trying to buy a red velvet cake; tying up a mechanic who wanted to rip him off. Among these and other situations, the peak comes when he decides to get up on the stage of a movie theater and report what he thinks about respecting the silence in the site. It’s very appreciated what the Butlers tried to do in “Mourning Has Broken”, taking into account the financing struggle, but the film was never particularly funny, deep, or even satisfyingly conclusive to be a reference. The husband’s mourning, based on silly moves and crack-brained attitudes, soon became more irritating than righteous, in a black dramedy where the narrative was always superior to the visuals.