Broken Diamonds (2021 | USA | 90 mins | Peter Sattler)
Set to leave for Paris, Scott (Ben Platt, Politician and Pitch Perfect) can’t wait for the rest of his life to begin. A budding novelist stuck in his home town slinging drinks as a waiter, this literal ticket out of town is the catalyst he needs. Then he gets a call, his dad has died and the fall out isn’t just having to take care of the family estate. His sister Cindy (Lola Kirke, Gone Girl) has schizophrenia and Scott is the last relative that has any ability to care for her. Does he take the trip of a lifetime, live in Paris and work on his dream or stay back to make sure his sister is ok. This struggle throws his life into chaos in a way he was never prepared for.
Those of us lucky enough to live our lives without personally struggling with mental illness or loving someone with it can never understand the heartache, the hurt and the daily internal battle that comes with it. Broken Diamonds is an unapologetic look at how illness, especially schizophrenia, can destroy a person from within. Half the time they don’t even know what’s going on, and loved ones feel helpless to comfort them. Platt and Kirke are extraordinary together battling each other and their inner self loathing just to figure out what to do in the next few minutes much less in the next week or next year. This is a bit of a spoiler so jump to the next paragraph if you’d prefer, but what I especially loved about the film is no happy endings. When you’re dealing with mental illness, there’s no one answer, no cure-all that allows you to walk out the door happy and healthy, ready to take on the world. It’s always a struggle and you’ll have good days and bad days, you just hope the good outweigh the bad. That’s not to say each day isn’t worth the struggle, but coping with illness is hard.
While it may not have been perfect and Scott was being “selfish” wanting to go to Paris, we all have our own ways to deal with difficult, nearly impossible life decisions and Broken Diamonds faced that head-on. It’s a tear-jerker to be sure, but open to seeing folks as having mental illness, not being the illness themselves. It’s easier if you’re a little mentally prepared for a difficult movie, but either way it’s well worth it.
Broken Diamnonds is available on Amazon Prime and other VOD services now / Available on DVD Oct 5th