Break Point (2014)

Tennis anyone? Well the story line surrounds two brothers, older reckless brother Jimmy (Jeremy Sisto) and his sensitive kid brother Darren (David Walton) who at a young age took to competitive tennis. Jimmy won a few tournaments leaving his kid brother behind and feeling abandoned when their mother dies. So although the film focuses on Jimmy's desire to reach for the top when he is way past his prime age (35) for professional tennis, Jimmy through the process of elimination and left with few alternatives convinces his kid brother Darren, to enter into a qualifying pairs tournament that if they win could get them a starting position in a major pairs tournament.The film actually evolves around an out of shape Jimmy who would rather drink to excess and irritate everyone around him and his strained relationship with his kid brother Darren. If you can get through the first 20 minutes of what I felt was more of a documentary style of filming, you will be rewarded with a better result by the end of the film than I had expected.There is a decent supporting group of characters which includes J K Simmons as the two brothers father named Jack who operates a veterinary clinic with his attractive assistant named Heather (played by Amy Smart) who as teenagers chummed around with Darren and Jimmy. As we get to know the two brothers personalities we recognize that Jimmy is an extrovert and Darren is an introvert. Jimmy's brashness has bugged younger brother Darren since they were kids and Jimmy in no uncertain terms tells Darren if he still has a crush on their father's veterinary assistant Heather, he better step up to the plate and tell her so that he can do the bedroom tango with her which has been Darren's desire for too many years.There is also some witty side humor provided by character actors Chris Parnell, Adam Devine (you may know him as Andy on the hit TV series Modern Family) and a young boy named Barry (played by Joshua Rush) who is in dire need of a father figure since he lives with his grandmother. Young Barry tries extremely hard to latch on to his supply teacher for the summer who happens to be the depressed Darren, but Barry keeps receiving more unsolicited fatherly advice from a belligerent source that being Darren's older brother Jimmy.There are sufficient characters and multiple story lines to keep the audience engaged. I would not try and compare it to the more successful 2014 feature film "St. Vincent" starring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, and a young star named Jaeden Lieberher, but I did feel that there was an attempt by both films to make us aware that boys who are fatherless will look for someone, anyone, to provide them with some level of male guidance and any attention, be it good or bad attention.Overall, I liked the film and I think it is well worth watching if you can just be patient and get through the first 20 minutes or so of dribble. It would appear that the inexperienced film director Jay Karas should stick more to TV series (as his resume is almost entirely focused on TV series) than feature films. Maybe that is what held the film back. Either way I give the film a decent 6 out of 10 rating.

I really loved this movie - its very funny and has a lot of heart. Break Point stars the very handsome Jeremy Sisto (who also wrote and produced the movie). He plays Jimmy, a foul mouthed, over the hill tennis player who wants to try for the US open. He has to convince his estranged brother Darren (David Walton) to play with him but it's not easy because years ago Jimmy dumped him as his partner. Throughout the movie the two brothers fight but somehow manage to become close on and off the court. The movie has a great supporting cast with J.K. Simmons as Jimmy and Darren's father, Amy Smart as the woman Darren is in love with, and Joshua Rush as a lonely child who befriends Darren. Break Point has a lot of really funny scenes - I laughed out loud more than once. Jeremy Sisto gives one of the best performances of his career. This is a terrific, heartwarming movie about family. I highly recommend it.

The movie is not met to change lives but it will supply you with a lot of laughs if you go out and see it.Especially, Jeremy Sisto, who nailed it. He showed some serious comedy chops that I did not know he had. Think I only see him in dramas like Law & Order. He was brilliant as the charming lovable washed up Tennis player trying to get back into the game.Although I felt David Walton, who played the younger brother who was loured back onto the courts by his brother so he can play doubles, was not that good of a straight man to Sisto's hilarious performance, but his relationship with an eleven year old boy he substitute taught for was where he got to shine. These two were too much together. It's not going to be the greatest sports movie of all time or the greatest sports comedy ever, In fact the whole Tennis thing feels no more than back ground for the relationship of all the characters, which includes J.K. Simmons as the dad, but overall it's a guaranteed laugh. You won't be able to help yourself.

A great film. Just as the two brothers playing tennis way out of their league, maybe also Gene Hong (the writer) and Jay Karas (the director), who have done much more TV than movies, could have shared the same feeling. And the same could be said for David Walton (Darren), Vincent Ventresca (the great Gary) or Joshua Rush (the even greater Barry). But, believe me, this is a great film with a great cast and the above mentioned actors star greatly along with Jeremy Sisto, JK Simmons and Amy Smart.The story is funny and enjoyable, the characters are so nice you'll easily find yourself hoping for a sequel. Everything is perfect, cheering and entertaining. My kind of comedy.