Broken English (2007)

Seen better, seen worse

My response to this film is lukewarm--I've seen better certainly but I've also seen worse. Do the lovers hook up for good?--Its one of those draw your own conclusion endings; nothing is clearly resolved which is probably why it did not resonate with me. I predict no Oscars for this one. April 6, 2008

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

This movie is honestly one of my favorite movies ever. Being a New Yorker, I can relate to the character. The music is great and the scenes are very reminiscent of my experiences here...

I love this movie if you're a single girl who is looking to find yourself and find passion again... March 23, 2008

Parker Posey commands attention

The always excellent and talented Parker Posey finally has a role where she's in every scene; she is magnificent. I've read all the other Amazon comments, and I'm sad that so many missed the point. Often compared to Sofia Coppola's debut film, "Lost in Translation", which made light of the human condition, "Broken English" is more about the true life kinds of things that are funny or sad, depending on how we deal with them. I was never bored. Ms. Posey commanded attention at all times, and I was eager to find out the situation in which she would next find herself. Excellent performances from Justin Theroux, Drea di Matteo and Ms. Cassavetes own mom, the great Gena Rowlands, flow naturally; Melvil Poupaud, as Julien, the French connection, was quite sweet and fine. He is indeed a beautiful man, looking better as the film goes on, and as Nora gets to know him better. I can relate very much to Nora's character, especially when she goes to a party she doesn't want to be at, and then meets the right person. Ms. Cassavetes, in a DVD extra, refers to this as a comedy. It's much more. I don't want to blab away the plot, as others did, but this is definitely worth seeing. Parker Posey's diversity was so well explored in the mock-umentary films of Christopher Guest. She is an Indie darling, and for good reason. Ms. Cassavetes, too, has proven herself, and I'm waiting for her next endeavor. March 23, 2008

great movie

I was curious to check out this movie once after reading about it and seeing the trailer online. As a over 30 single guy, the premise appealed to me and I could identify with a lot of the things Parker Posey's character goes through. I loved the movie, it makes some very insightful (and hilarious) observations about feeling a little lost and left behind. But above all I adored Parker Posey's performance. Definitely worth checking out. March 18, 2008

Traditonal romantic comedy it's not....

Don't approach "Broken English" expecting "Green Card" or "Sleepless in Seattle." This is a more experimental approach to the genre - less a traditional romantic comedy and more of a dark character study with a few moments of comedic relief. Romance is merely the device used to illustrate one woman's descent into desperation.

Nora Wilder, an upper middle class woman in her 30's, has everything going for her. She is a Sarah Lawrence graduate with a decent job, a Manhattan apartment, good friends and nearby family. However, she is no longer in the first flush of youth. One day she realizes that she has spent six years in the job that was supposed to be temporary until she found her career in the arts. Furthermore, all of her friends are married, but she can't find love in the land of plenty. She realizes that she had some nice boyfriends when she was in college, but now that she is ready to settle down she can't find a decent guy. She meets a variety of men; some of them are ready to settle down - but with other women, not with Nora. Nora, in her desperation to connect with a man, is ready to sleep with any guy who compliments her. In fact, she can't believe a man is interested in her unless they have slept together - an attitude that makes her vulnerable to hurt from men who are completely unavailable.

After yet another bad experience, Nora forces herself to attend a party given by one of her co-workers. As she is ready to exit the party she is introduced to Julien, a Frenchman nearing the end of his stay in the city. Nora is at the end of her rope with men. She's not interested in connecting with Julien on any level, but he is persistent. Every time Nora is ready to say good night or goody bye to Julien, he comes up with a new place for them to go, something new to see or do. By the time Nora and Julien share a first kiss, they have gotten to know and like each other a little. But after a few days together, Julien has to go home to France. His departure leaves a larger hole in her life than Nora would have imagined. Eventually she overcomes her initial resistance and travels to France, hoping to reconnect with him. In Paris, Nora discovers that she has lost the paper with Julien's phone number; the friend who introduced them is out of town not answering his messages; and Julien has the most common surname in France.

Once Nora accepts that she won't find Julien, she decides to make the most of her time in Paris. She shops. She visits museums and galleries. As an "exotic foreigner" herself, she is able to have the kind of encounters with people in Paris that she is incapable of finding in her hometown. She engages in lively debates and soul searching introspective discussions with strangers. She learns something about herself in the process, and she learns to value herself. By the time she's ready to leave Paris, she's on her way to becoming a confident new woman ready to take on new challenges and, just maybe, find the love that has eluded her.

Parker Posey's brilliant performance prevents this depressed and desperate woman from becoming an uninteresting cliche. Her darker feelings seem genuine, yet always underlined by a kind of surprised disbelief that her life could have become this messy.

Melvil Poupaud is charming as the visiting Frenchman. At first sight he is easily dismissed by both Nora and the audience but, as she (and we) get to know him better, Julien becomes fascinating and irresistible.

The DVD special features are disappointing. There is no director's commentary, which would have been interesting in a film like this. It would have been even more interesting because this is Zoe Cassavetes directorial debut. The features include a piece from HDNet with separate interviews of Cassavetes (interesting) and Gena Rowlands (rambling). A "making of" feature appears to have been taped with a small hand held camera; the video is shaky and the sound is indistinct - it adds nothing to the package. There are a few mildly interesting deleted scenes.

Recommended. February 10, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...