Breakaway

Hockey fans and movie fans, get ready for puck drop! Not since the Mighty Ducks have we finally an amazing hockey movie filled with heart and laughter. Breakaway is a new film about an all-Punjabi ice hockey team with an eye set on the Hyundai Cup when other hockey players tell them they don't belong.  Vinay Virmani stars as Rajveer Singh, a young Indo-Canadian with aspirations to be a hockey player. Working as a truck driver at his uncle's shipping company and against his father's wishes, hockey is his life. When he recruits his friends to make a team, his relationship with his father sours further, creating wonderful and a familiar tension that connects with us.


The team struggles to start but the Cinderella story is set as they move up the standings until the championship game, when they are ordered to either don helmets (meaning they'd have to choose between their Sikh religion) or forfeit. Inspired by a visit to a famous actor on a movie set, Raj finds the helmet that his teammates wouldn't have to give up either their religion nor hockey. In the end, the film is more than just about hockey, but themes that resonate with us all: aspirations, family, and growth in maturity. 


Overall, this was a fantastic and fun film, combining Bollywood music and color to a favorite Canadian past time. A good story with supportive subplots, although some problems seem to get solved too easily without the characters having to struggle too long. Great acting that draws the audience in as you will find yourself cheering on the Speedy Singhs.  Loaded with humor and numerous sequences that delight (such as a figure skating dream sequence). This is one event not to miss. 


4.5/5