A young couple surveys the state of their relationship, calling into question everything they once knew about each other. “Breaking Up,” directed by Claudia Nankervis and Jessica Sofarnos, is a heated drama about partnership and communication, and the punctures that threaten to dissolve such. Steph and Nick have been together for five years when they reach an impasse. This is news to Nick who feels blindsided at the prospect of breaking up. For Steph, there has been an insufficiency in their bond for some time, and is disturbed he hasn’t felt it. The film astutely captures the feeling of a real-life fight with its sputtering starts and stops, its moments of confusion, its long pauses and reevaluations. Justifications turn into backtracking; clarifications lead into reassurances and loop around again. She thinks he’s being dismissive to her emotional issues; he thinks she is focusing too intently on details that shouldn’t be dealbreakers. Filled with specificity and subjectivity, the film is carried by the passionate and believable performances of co-director, Sofarnos, and Zelman Cressey-Gladwin. -KA. Director: Claudia Nankervis & Jessica Sofarnos. Cast: Jessica Sofarnos, Zelman Cressey-Gladwin. DOP: Max Walter. Editor: Alex Walton. Producer: Claudia Nankervis. Writer: Jessica Sofarnos. Composer: Owen Grieve. Sound Mix: Hannah Campbell.