'Breaking' has jagged edges

BREAKING AND ENTERING — ** 1/2 — Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn; rated R (sex, profanity, vulgarity, brief nudity, violence).

"Breaking and Entering" is only half-good. There are two, character-driven story lines in this dramatic thriller, but only one of them works.

Naturally, the story that works best is the one that doesn't get enough emphasis — particularly toward the end of the film. Instead, the filmmakers choose to follow a character who just isn't all that sympathetic or interesting.

Still, this well-acted character piece is much smaller in scope and thus a nice change of pace for writer-director Anthony Minghella, who's better known for such sweeping epic romances as "Cold Mountain" and his Oscar-winner, "The English Patient."

"Breaking and Entering" also reunites Minghella with some of his favorite actors, including Jude Law (who was in Minghella's "Cold Mountain" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley").

Law stars as Will, a North London architect whose professional life couldn't be going better.

However, Will's personal life is in turmoil, led by strife with his live-in girlfriend (Robin Wright Penn) and behaviorally challenged daughter (Poppy Rogers).

Will and his business partner (Martin Freeman) are also contending with a series of office break-ins. And Will catches the main suspect — a troubled teen named Miro (Rafi Gavron) — red-handed. But Will chooses not to confront the teen, since he finds himself drawn to the boy's mother, an alluring seamstress named Amira (Juliette Binoche).

Minghella's screenplay may be a little too ambitious; it's overstuffed with plot and characters. And giving time to supporting performers Freeman, Juliet Stevenson, Ray Winstone and Vera Farmiga means he has to reduce the role of Binoche's sympathetic Bosnian refugee, who is really the most interesting character.

She is certainly more compelling than the self-centered Will, who's a bit of a jerk. (The character proves a little tricky for Law, who can't make us care about what happens to him.)

Also, the rather contrived resolution to all these character crises doesn't ring true. Things are wrapped up a little too conveniently in a way that doesn't reflect real life.

"Breaking and Entering" is rated R for simulated sex and other sexual contact, strong sexual language (profanity and crude slang, as well as other innuendo), brief female and partial male nudity, and some brief violence (a beating and a workplace accident). Running time: 123 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com