¡°The Broken Circle Breakdown¡± is undoubtedly one of the best films you¡¯ll see this or any year ¡ª passionate, joyous and heartbreakingly sad ¡ª but it¡¯s also remarkable for being one of those rare music films where a fictional on-screen band goes on to actual off-screen fame.
The film follows two Belgian aficionados of American bluegrass music in a story about ¡°life, death and everything in between,¡± as director Felix van Groeningen has described it, and for once, that¡¯s not just hype. The relationship between musician/back-to-the-land dropout Didier and tattoo-artist Elise is born of and poured into the music they make, and as such, it was vital for the cast to really perform it. Actor-writer Johan Heldenbergh plays banjo and sings in the film, while co-star Veerle Baetens also sings for real; backed by a tight ensemble of roots musicians, they¡¯re not just adequate but outstanding.
The soundtrack, which features great renditions of such classics as ¡°Wayfaring Stranger¡± and ¡°If I Needed You,¡± was a huge hit, topping the charts in several European markets and even reaching No. 19 in the U.S. This prompted the band to hit the road with the film¡¯s stars front and center, and their latest Broken Circle Breakdown Bluegrass Band tour is looking at 32 sold out shows between March and June.
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