book Break the circle by Colleen Hoover is a TikTok favorite, and for good reason. The combination of a redemption story and a mature approach to domestic violence has become the new obsession of Gen Z on the platform. Part of that is evident in the big-screen adaptation of the novel. Starring Blake Lively and directed by Justin Baldoni, the film explores love from a queer, adult perspective. And also in how we understand gender-based violence today.
Not to mention that this film is about what begins as an idyllic romance. The Argument Break the circledoes not forget that part of the success of the book from which it is based is based on the emotions of its characters. Thus, Christy Hall’s script aims to understand from the first scenes that Lily (Lively) and Ryle (Baldoni, who also plays the lead) are imperfect beings. So much so that in order to fall in love, it is necessary to find the perfect time. Which, moreover, implies the manifestation of maturity of both through different moments of their lives.
Break the circle
Breaking the Circle manages to explore the difficult subject of domestic violence without softening it or exploiting its harshness in the script. Instead, the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel of the same name explores adult love that ultimately turns into a subtle nightmare. And it does so thanks to its honest and frank arguments, as well as its simple yet emotional performances.
Like the book it’s based on, the film puts all its energy into showing how this passionate couple finds a moment to be together. But the greatest interest of the plot is in showing that this search for happiness is not random or a series of accidents. It’s really about Lily growing up, and realizing that love doesn’t mean being a victim. This brings the film to one of its most controversial points.
A difficult story beyond romance
In this context, the script tells its story quickly, without feeling forced or, especially, embellished. Lily is a florist who suffers great grief when she moves to Boston, trying to recover from hard times. In the city, she meets Ryle, a neurosurgeon with whom she falls in love, but immediately avoids a relationship with him. The reason is so specific that it turns out to be one of the most interesting moments of the plot. Lily is conscious that he is not in the same moment with her for an emotional relationship.
In fact, one of the most interesting things about Breaking the Circle is that it breaks the clichés of cinematic romance and explores other themes. From the need to be loved to the maturity of a couple. The script moves between the characters’ lives at different points in their lives and delves into them skillfully. So it’s easy to believe in this love, which becomes more and more mature and finally reaches a relationship.
But the best moments in the film are when the actors manage to give their characters an evolution. Lily goes from a playful, bubbly character to a confident woman to a terrified victim. The same can be said for Ryle, who displays traits of a domestic abuser without the plot falling into the temptation to make him a cartoonish villain. Together, the actors work to make Lily and Ryle believable. But there’s more to the story than the message of surviving a brutal scenario. are more important than any other.
A victim who decides not to be one
One of the most debated aspects of the book, which is also carried over into the film, is how to present a controversial story without sugarcoating or softening it. Break the circle This is achieved thanks to Baldoni’s direction, which pays special attention to showing how his characters change over time. But it does not hide the sharpness of the subtext, and especially the pain and fear that will eventually tarnish love. The combination of all this makes the film more interesting and dramatic as it progresses.
The film’s production design also helps. From the bright, lively backdrop of the opening scenes, the film moves into a darker one. As if color, fear, and suffering were degrading beauty, the director manages to create the sense that what surrounds his story is fading. And this in the shadow of violence and fear. This direct gaze, though never exploitative or exaggerated, A difficult moment, it quickly becomes one of the attributes of the film.
So gradually this seemingly ideal relationship turns into a nightmare, which the plot honestly shows. Break the circle He’s not afraid to go into detail about how love can be a very serious situation. But he doesn’t try to make everything dependent on his ability to worry or scare. His greatest interest is to delve into what violence does to people – to those who receive it and those who use it.and how this degradation eventually destroys any glimmer of home life.
A good ending to a difficult film
Break the circleThe film, which depicts the generational trauma of domestic violence in a way rarely seen on the big screen, had two big responsibilities to fulfill. On one hand, being faithful to a beloved book that has become one of the most talked about events on TikTok. On the other, being sensitive to its delicate history,avoiding re-victimization or distortion of the triumph of real survivors.
The film combines elegance and respect, while making its complex subject matter more than just an excuse to bring a contemporary book destined to become a mass event to the cinema. The result is a respectful, kind film, full of subtext of great interest and sensitivity. And a model of what a good adaptation can do with interesting original material.. His greatest triumph and what could undoubtedly make it one of the greatest films of 2024.
Source: Hiper Textual
