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Breaking and Entering

(2007, Rated R, Drama, Starring Jude Law, Robin Wright Penn, Juliette Binoche)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 17, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 17.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Insightful, contemporary love story for adults.

Why We Rated This not for kids

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Characters pay a price for their bad behavior; parenting models are excellent; recent immigrants' difficulty in assimilating into a new culture is dramatized thoughtfully and with respect for differences; featured misbehaving teen must face the consequences for his criminal activity and learns a lesson; autistic girl is treated with dignity and understanding; interpersonal relationships between races are positive, with disdain shown for intolerance; one police role model is depicted as compassionate and caring, a second is authoritarian and cynical (though not brutal).

  • Violence:

    No overt violence. Teen boys are chased and captured by police.

  • Sex:

    Playful sexuality suggested between long-time live-in lovers; prostitute uses partial nudity (breasts) and sexual posing to provoke hero; suggested oral sex, foreplay, and partial nudity (breast) during several adulterous sexual scenes, including lovers in bath and in bed; a computer screen with dozens of small photographs of Will's and Amira's bodies flashes for approximately one second (Will's buttocks can be seen in at least one of the photos, nothing else is identifiable).

  • Language:

    "F--k" is used a few times to show disgust or frustration. One reference to "penis."

  • Consumerism:

    Only prominent product display is Mac computers.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some social drinking and smoking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Breaking and Entering

Parents need to know that most kids probably won't be interested in this mature drama, which deals with complex issues and relationships. There's a central adulterous liaison and scenes with nudity, foreplay, and suggested sexual activity. Several scenes with a prostitute include partial nudity and strong sexuality. There's some swearing, drinking, and smoking, though none to excess.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how this movie shows parents dealing with difficult children in positive ways and using community resources to get help. How much are these parents willing to sacrifice for their kids? What happens when one partner in a relationship is dishonest and betrays the other? How important is forgiveness? What other movies have you seen that focus on finding ways to preserve a family in crisis? Does the movie help viewers understand the problems faced by new members of a community? What is the filmmaker's attitude about rehabilitation versus punishment?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Godsrain
    Lives in South Dakota
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 0.0

    Not appropriate

    This movie is not appropriate for people of any age.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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