I saw this film the other night, The Broken Circle Breakdown, and I was inspired to write another review. The film is from Belgium, and it came out in 2012. It’s a beautifully realized tragedy. It’s also suffused with fabulous live music. The music is early Bluegrass, a genre that uses beautiful harmonies to mask stories of heartbreak and loss. So the music is a perfect compliment to the story.

It’s not giving anything away to say that the key plot point in the film is the death of a child. It made me cry. It’ll probably have the same effect on you, unless you’re already dead inside. But you should see it anyway. It’s beautiful and dramatic and occasionally funny, but ultimately sad.

The Broken Circle Breakdown should be required viewing for all humans. It might even change you in subtle ways. And that’s the highest compliment that I can give to a work of art.