UNITED KINGDOM: Jude Law, attending premiere of Breaking and Entering', said like his character in the film, he tries hard to do the right thing and learn lessons in life

British Film-maker Anthony Minghella and heart-throb Jude Law introduced their latest collaboration 'Breaking and Entering' at the London Film Festival on Friday (October 27). Minghella returned to his hometown of London for the film, working from his own original screenplay for the first time in 12 years. The writer/director said 'Breaking and Entering' had been in the making for a long time, and it was real-life events that got him over a 15-year-long writer's block to finish the multicultural, multifaceted film. "Well, about 15 years ago I made a film called 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' and it was the last film I made in London and after I wrote that film I started to think about making another London film centred on a burglary, a small crime that opened up the life of London in some way and I could never get the story right and then when we were making 'Cold Mountain' I was in Romania, thinking I must come home and make a movie about London. We were renovating an office in North London and we had about 12 burglaries in a year and that reminded me of this story from 15 years ago and it developed into a story about the London that I live in and love but also is a world of those who have and those who don't have and that's what the movie is about really," Minghella explained. 'Breaking and Entering' begins with architect Will (Law) and his business partner (Martin Freeman) celebrating the launch of a new project and redevelopment in London's King's Cross, an area notorious for its shady night-time activities, prostitutes and high crime rates. And unsurprisingly, the couple's swanky new offices soon become the subject of several burglaries. Frustrated with the police's efforts in hunting down the violators, Will takes matters into his own hand and one night tracks down the burglar, a young boy (Rafi Gavron) who lives with his Bosnian mother Amira (Juliette Binoche). Back home Will's relationship with long-term girlfriend Liv (Robin Wright Penn) and her behaviourally challenged daughter is strained, and as he follows the two Bosnian refugees, he feels drawn to Amira, eventually embarking on an affair with the woman. Law, who worked with Minghella on 'Cold Mountain' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' said he was eager to re-unite with the film-maker for a smaller and more local film. "It was a film I was very keen to make, simply because it was Anthony - again. And more so because it was Anthony's first original screenplay in - I've just found out - 12 years. And also because it was on a scale, it was a different type of film from the last two we've made, both of which have been epic and for far bigger budgets and it was nice, I think we both felt the sense that we wanted to strip it all away and get back down to making it a smaller, intimate movie," Law said. The actor, who made last year's headlines after cheating on girlfriend Sienna Miller with his children's nanny said he found certain similarities with his character. "It's funny you know, people thinking if I'm using my own accent and it's a contemporary setting and in London, that it must be, he must be similar to me. In fact he is as much of a character and as much of a part of playing Inman in 'Cold Mountain' or Gigolo Joe in 'AI' or you know, any of those characters," the actor said, but then, giving it some more thought added: "There are certainly...I don't know...there are certainly themes to his, I think, like him I'm always trying to do the right thing. I don't often do the right thing but I'm trying to do the right thing and trying to learn lessons in life and so those are maybe similarities. I'm not as tidy as Will. He lives a very tidy life." The film also stars Robin Wright Penn as Will's half Swedish girlfriend, French actress Juliette Binoche as the Bosnian refugee and Rafi Gavron as the young burglar. Gavron, who made his acting debut in the film said he was excited about his first ever red carpet experience and found it surprising that any of the fans lining the red carpet recognised him. "I was expecting this but I wasn't expecting anyone shouting my name because I didn't think anyone knew who I was so yes, it's a little bit crazy," he young man, who has already begun shooting his second movie 'Inkheart' with Paul Bettany, Brendan Fraser and Kathy Bates. 'Breaking and Entering' will go on general release in the UK on November 10, 2006.

ITN Source | November 2, 2006

Tags:. .ai. .violators. .cheating. .frustrated. .collaboration