''Break'' is a 2020 British independent film. Written and directed by Michael Elkin, it stars Sam Gittins,
Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman (born 25 May 1958) is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in ''Layer Cake'' (2004) and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's ''Oliver Twist'' (2005).
Career
Foreman played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldm ...
,
Adam Deacon
Adam Steven Deacon (born 4 March 1983) is an English actor, rapper, writer and director. He is known for his lead role in the films ''Kidulthood'', sequel ''Adulthood'' and for his directorial debut, '' Anuvahood''.
Career
Deacon was brought up ...
,
Terri Dwyer
Teresa "Terri" Dwyer (born 31 July 1973) is a British television presenter and actress, best known for her role as Ruth Osborne in the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. She has also presented the ITV home makeover show 60 Minute Makeover.
Care ...
,
David Yip
David Nicholas Yip (; born 4 June 1951) is a British actor of Chinese and English descent. He gained prominence through his lead role in the BBC series ''The Chinese Detective''.
Early life
Yip was born in Liverpool to a Chinese father, a seama ...
and
Rutger Hauer
Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century.
Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
in one of his final screen roles.
Snooker
Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...
player cameos include
Liang Wenbo
Liang Wenbo (; born 25 March 1987) is a Chinese professional snooker player based at the Oracle Snooker Club, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. Liang, who plays left-handed, has reached one Triple Crown final, made three Masters appearances, and ...
,
Jack Lisowski
Jack Adam Lisowski (born 25 June 1991) is an English professional snooker player from Churchdown, Gloucestershire. He turned professional in 2010 by finishing first in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings. A left-handed player, he is known for his atta ...
and
1997 World Snooker Championship
The 1997 World Snooker Championship (also referred to as the 1997 Embassy World Snooker Championship for the purposes of sponsorship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 19 April and 5 May 1997. Staged ...
winner
Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty (born 17 September 1969) is an Irish professional snooker player, commentator and radio presenter.
As an amateur, Doherty won the Irish Amateur Championship twice, the World Under-21 Amateur Championship and the World Amateur C ...
.
Plot
A young snooker player is helped by a local gangster and a veteran Chinese
pool
Pool may refer to:
Water pool
* Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming
* Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings
* Tide pool, a rocky pool ...
champion to break free from a world of crime and reach the glittering lights of
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
to play in a prestigious Chinese snooker tournament that could save his life. It has been described as "
Rocky
''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess M ...
with a snooker cue".
Cast
* Sam Gittins as Spencer
*
Rutger Hauer
Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century.
Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
as Ray
*
Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman (born 25 May 1958) is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in ''Layer Cake'' (2004) and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's ''Oliver Twist'' (2005).
Career
Foreman played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldm ...
as Monty
*
Terri Dwyer
Teresa "Terri" Dwyer (born 31 July 1973) is a British television presenter and actress, best known for her role as Ruth Osborne in the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. She has also presented the ITV home makeover show 60 Minute Makeover.
Care ...
as Cathy Pryde
*
Luke Mably
Thomas Luke Mably is an English actor.
Early life
Mably was born in London, England. He attended the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama.
Career
Mably portrayed White in the thriller ''Exam'' under the direction of Stuart Hazeldine. He ha ...
as Terry Pryde
[
* Sophie Stevens as Shelley][
* ]David Yip
David Nicholas Yip (; born 4 June 1951) is a British actor of Chinese and English descent. He gained prominence through his lead role in the BBC series ''The Chinese Detective''.
Early life
Yip was born in Liverpool to a Chinese father, a seama ...
as Qiang
* Adam Deacon
Adam Steven Deacon (born 4 March 1983) is an English actor, rapper, writer and director. He is known for his lead role in the films ''Kidulthood'', sequel ''Adulthood'' and for his directorial debut, '' Anuvahood''.
Career
Deacon was brought up ...
as "Weasel"
* Mark Homer
Mark Homer (born 1973) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for playing Tony Hills in the popular British soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1995 to 1999. His subsequent work includes guest appearances in ''Silent Witness'' and ''Spine ...
as Prison Officer Yates
* Jack Lisowski
Jack Adam Lisowski (born 25 June 1991) is an English professional snooker player from Churchdown, Gloucestershire. He turned professional in 2010 by finishing first in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings. A left-handed player, he is known for his atta ...
as himself
* Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty (born 17 September 1969) is an Irish professional snooker player, commentator and radio presenter.
As an amateur, Doherty won the Irish Amateur Championship twice, the World Under-21 Amateur Championship and the World Amateur C ...
as himself
* Liang Wenbo
Liang Wenbo (; born 25 March 1987) is a Chinese professional snooker player based at the Oracle Snooker Club, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. Liang, who plays left-handed, has reached one Triple Crown final, made three Masters appearances, and ...
as himself
Production
Filmed at locations including the Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre (often referred to simply as "The Crucible") is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England which opened in 1971. Although it hosts regular theatrical performances, it is best known for hosting professional snooker's m ...
in Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
, Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
and Canterbury Prison in Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
.
Release
Although originally intended to be released in April 2020, it became the first UK movie to premiere via Drive-in
A drive-in is a facility (such as a restaurant or movie theater) where one can drive in with an automobile for service. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk or rollerskat ...
when, during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, it was released to coincide with the delayed 2020 World Snooker Championship. The premiere was held on 22 July 2020 at Brent Cross Drive-In Club in North London
North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire.
The term ''nort ...
, the first premiere of its kind.
Reception
The feature length film debut by Elkin was described as "impressive" by Reviews Hub in which he "throws all the sports film clichés up in the air and rearranges them into a heart-warming story of working class aspiration, decency and the belief that whatever the social and economic circumstances talent can be realised". Also "the depth in Elkin's characters adds considerably to the viewer’s empathy for and belief in Spencer as the story unfolds". Sam Gittins' performance as Spencer was also praised: "a role that could easily have become a two-dimensional troubled youth refusing adult help and sulking. Instead Gittins gives a rounded characterisation".
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, tt4590390
2020 films
2020 independent films
British independent films
British sports drama films
Snooker films
2020s English-language films
2020s British films