From Omeleto.
Two strangers repair their heartbreak.
BROKEN HEARTS is used with permission from Julie Magnaudet. Learn more at https://juliemagnaudet.com.
Chloe is a hopeless romantic who is getting over another breakup. She takes herself to a hospital for broken hearts, where she’s been a "repeat customer," much to her doctor’s chagrin. At the hospital, she’s "prescribed" a rebound named Charlie, who is dealing with heartbreak as well.
The process is awkward, with neither Chloe nor Charlie warming to one another and Charlie too wrapped up in his grief over his failed relationship. But as they go through a series of simulated romantic steps, they bond over their shared experience of sorrow. Out of that raw emotion, they establish a connection and face a more unexpected question at the end of their time together.
Directed and written by Julie Magnaudet, this left-of-center short romantic comedy has a quirky conceptual premise akin to the work of Charlie Kaufman or Michel Gondry. In Chloe and Charlie’s world, broken hearts are an ailment that can be treated at a clinic or hospital, where patients undergo a course of treatment designed to help them let go of their heartbreak. It’s a clever, whimsical idea, matched by the softly colorful, warm palette and luminous lighting of the film’s visuals. But it’s made rich and emotional through the narrative’s excellent writing, with its respect and recognition for the devastation and grief of a breakup.
The blend of sadness and sweetness characterizes much of the film, with the storytelling balancing light, quirky moments and flourishes (the pink water in an IV bag of another patient is a nice touch) with heavier, more emotional moments. Part of the intrigue is seeing how the film’s premise plays out, as Charlie and Chloe go through a quick course of treatment, each stage mimicking the arc of a relationship. Their first date is comically awkward, with Charlie and Chloe possessing very different romantic histories.
Cleverly written, each stage is a witty send-up of the rituals of modern courtship and a snapshot of Chloe and Charlie’s very different characters, lending a nice structure and progression to the film’s arc. Though they ably hit the moments of tenuous charm and awkward comedy, actors Evangeline Dickson and Blake Patrick Anderson keep their performances emotionally grounded.
They achieve a breakthrough when they’re finally honest with one another about their feelings, allowing BROKEN HEARTS to settle into a deeper, more vulnerable mode for the last third of its story. Finally, they can reckon with the deep sadness and their anger at unmet expectations. It’s still hilarious — and gets even more so as they get more real with their emotions — but they also give one another the consolation of being there for one another in their most difficult feelings. They form a true bond, but more importantly, Chloe gets the beginning glimmers of self-awareness. It makes for a nuanced, even melancholic ending, but it’s the foundation of self-love and wisdom — and perhaps the beginning of the next stage of Chloe’s evolving story.
