User reviews

A realistic interpretation of what it looks like when you hit the bottom with an addiction to gambling.

Broke isn't riveting entertainment as a movie, it's almost a documentary. Such realism may help some understand what's wrong with the way the Australian State Governments encourage gambling to source their precious revenues.

This story should almost be introduced into high school curriculum, the sooner the masses realise the byproducts of gambling the sooner we can vote out governments that encourage it.

Ponder on the thought of how many down and out gambling addicts are out there that don't have history of being a once famous sports star like the lead character.

This film dealt with two very heavy topics: that of gambling addiction and the portrayal of sports stars as local heroes and role models. In spite of this, the director and writers brought a sensitivity and lightness of hand to the screen when dealing with these issues. These themes were explored honestly and with little judgment, but were still done justice to – they weren't brushed aside. Despite the story being one of redemption and about the power of having people believe in you, the ending wasn't a happy one and not what we expect given the direction of the film. Even so, the ending made sense and the "twist" (for lack of a better word) isn't obscure. The audience isn't left feeling dissatisfied, even if we were hoping for that happy ending.

The only thing I didn't like about it was that the dialogue was very rough and course. While it's typical of the way Australians talk, it felt overbearing. The dialogue could have been slightly more eloquent but have taken nothing from the feel of the movie and the characterisation.

In terms of production value, there were a few sections of the film where the sound recording quality wasn't as good as it should have been. It's hard to look past, which is unfortunate because the rest of the movie is done very well.

What an inspirational and Powerful film about ordinary people with the ability to have extraordinary lives. It is one of the only Australian films I have seen with a hopeful ending and everyone came out so impressed by the high standard set by the writers, producers, cast and crew.

So many amazing performances and the script is so real and poignant. We found ourselves laughing and crying and sharing moments of Australian culture. It should do well overseas too as people have the opportunity to explore the wonderful story of a washed up footy player surrounded by people who want to support him to find his path to happiness.

A fabulous film !!