DVD: Fragments (15)

In a typical US diner, a waitress serves a cross-section of society.

Enter a lunatic with a gun, bent on destroying the lives of those around him before turning the weapon on himself. Based on the novel Winged Creatures by Roy Freirich, Fragments deals with each survivor's post-shooting rebirth. The director Rowan Woods uses experimental cinematic tricks and fragmented scenes to show the characters' attempts at repairing their broken lives. However, fewer characters and a more in-depth look at their recoveries would have created a stronger emotional connection; it's a shame that the all-star cast (Forest Whitaker, Kate Beckinsale, Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning) are let down by shallow character development and an unsatisfying conclusion.