Overview: In the wake of his father’s death, Scott (Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen, Pitch Perfect), a twenty-something writer, sees his dream of moving to Paris put in jeopardy when he’s forced to temporarily take in his wildly unpredictable, mentally ill sister Cindy (Lola Kirk, Gone Girl).

Blu-ray Verdict: Personally, I have a soft spot for films about mental illness and the havoc it can wreak on everyone involved.

Platt and Kirke both turn in very fine work. I didn’t always love Platt’s comedic timing, but the more I think about it the less honest everything feels. Schizophrenia is looked at with a lot of empathy but also used as a joke a bit too much for my liking.

Therein, Broken Diamonds is a mixed bag that absolutely had me feeling things thanks to some truly tender moments from Platt and Kirke, but also falls a little flat upon introspection.

That said, it showcases perfectly the fall out from any serious illness that befalls a family and how it can reverberate for decades, especially if the sick person is young when the sickness manifests itself.

Overall there is a lot of blame, helplessness, acting out and sheer heartbreak that is visited on the other family members. It must be hell for all involved, let alone the one at the center of the storm, of course.

Ergo, Broken Diamonds, at its best, encapsulates a lot of that in a short 90 minutes and sure, the film will not fix anything in your life, but if you have a family member or friend that is suffering with anything terminal or chronic, this film might (at the very least) enable you to understand them a little better. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs that comes with the Special Features of:

Deleted Scenes
Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery
Theatrical Trailer

www.filmrise.com