The Garden of Broken Things

In the fast-paced and lyrical latest from Momplaisir (My Mother’s House), a third-generation Haitian immigrant to the U.S. and divorced mother of two struggles to reconnect with her family and survive the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Genevieve Ducasse worries about her son, who has been growing distant and getting in trouble with the NYPD, so she takes him on a trip to Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, to introduce him to their heritage and extended family. While there, Genevieve chafes at her cousin Ateya, whose endurance of domestic violence and poverty has left her embittered and abusive toward her own daughter. Their lives are upended when the earthquake hits, compelling them to seek out scarce medical care and a path to safety, and then begin the process of grieving and rebuilding. The Haiti scenes sizzle with detail, but the U.S. ones falter in comparison, relying on excessive exposition and resulting in such characters as Genevieve’s cheating ex-husband and long-suffering grandmother feeling clichéd. Still, Momplaisir has talent, and while the edges may be rough, this is a moving glimpse into the dynamics of Haitian diasporic culture. (May)