Brakes

Break-ups and burgeoning romance shape this clever indie film. This delightfully cast debut from Mercedes Grower is literally a film of two halves, tracing the emotionally heightened points at the endings (in the first half of the film) and beginnings (the second) of relationships. Each half follows moments in the lives of nine couples, all set against a backdrop of London over different seasons. Sad, funny, traumatic and tearful, the film offers a peek into vital points in a series of ordinary lives. (Edinburgh International Film Festival)