Half Broken Things

I believe this is a British tv film. A professional housesitter, Jean (Penelope Wilton), takes her final job, as due to her advancing age her employer can no longer afford to insure her for the business. Jean is still a professional, but we see she has inner anger about this.

Her final job is at a country manor while the owners are on a summer holiday, only being allowed to live in a few rooms in the large manor. Although she has been professional in the past, she starts feeling resentful of her situation, both the pending loss of her job as well as resentment of having to always work for rich people who don't tend to value her; when she finds a jar of keys to the other rooms, she takes it upon herself unlock them and to live throughout the house, snooping into things, wearing the owner’s clothes, tearing up their pictures—it’s as if she believes she is owed a better life by the world.

Meanwhile two other characters are introduced. Michael (Daniel Mays), a young man who is in some financial and perhaps criminal trouble, steals some religious objects to sell. He has some experience of antiques so he knows what to steal, and is adept at pretending to be someone he is not. He is nearly caught so goes on the lam. Steph (Sinead Matthews), a very pregnant young woman, escapes an abusive boyfriend and chances on Michael’s sympathies. They both happen on the manor Jean is living at, and she keeps up her fake story of being the owner until Michael susses her out. Once he does though, Jean finds it easier (and convenient) to confide in them, and to let Michael sell the owner’s things so they have money to pay for the upkeep of their living quarters, since she has no budget of her own. The three start living together as a sort of family. But as expected their touch and go existence is jeopardized—Michael is recognized as a thief; Steph steals a baby. Meanwhile, Jean abets this behavior, even justifying it.

The story is just too conveniently set up and emotional points are as expected. I was a little disgusted at Jean’s behavior of invading the homeowner’s privacy, especially since she was supposed to be a professional. This behavior did not change, actually it got worse and although I can sympathize with her sentiment of wanting a better life (it does not sound as if she has had a bad life, just a boring one), nothing in her past justifies what she believes she is due. Her character also narrates now and again which I thought was unnecessary, as her words are borne out by the action of the film and we can make the same assumptions by viewing the actions alone. Although Michael is the “criminal” of the trio, he seems the most normal; Jean spins up excuses to herself to justify her behavior and eventually that of Michael and Steph; Steph goes a little nuts when babysitting for a local and wishes the baby were hers, leading to the theft/kidnapping of the baby.

At the end, Jean’s solution to their increasing problems and increasing risk of being caught, feels like a cheat for the audience as well as unsympathetic and selfish treatment of her friends—what she decides to do she thinks is for the best, but neither of the others are consulted, only duped and betrayed.