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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Magnolia
Salesrank: 6238
Released: August 21, 2007 |
| Our Price: $11.97 |
| Used Price: $5.24 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Croatian born NINA (Aleksandra Vujcic) escapes with her family from their war ravaged homeland to the culturally mixed suburbs of Auckland New Zealand. Smothered by the controlling love of her volatile father IVAN (Rade Serbedzija) Nina finds tender romance when she falls in love with EDDIE (Julian Arahanga) a New Zealand native (Maori). Frustrated Nina knows there is no chance that she and Eddie can afford to start their own life together until she's offered a large sum of money to marry Chinese political refugee WU thus allowing him resident status. Ivan learns of Nina's marriage of convenience and is further enraged when he discovers Nina is pregnant with Eddie's child. Desperate to reassert his control over her Ivan risks alienating his entire family when he tries to tear Nina away from the man she truly loves.System Requirements:Running Time: 98 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 876964000895 Manufacturer No: 10089
Description of Broken English:
Though made by the daughter of iconoclastic filmmaker John Cassavetes, Broken English is a surprisingly old-fashioned affair. Just as her friend Sofia Coppola wrote about a woman much like herself for Lost in Translation, Zoe Cassavetes has done something similar for her first film (although Before Sunset seems to have exerted a greater influence). Nora (Parker Posey in typically fine form) works in guest relations for a hip New York hotel, just as the writer/director once did. Her best friend, Audrey (Drea de Matteo, The Sopranos), has been married for five years, while Nora remains single. Her mother, Vivien (Gena Rowlands, Zoe's real-life mother), would like to see her settle down. First, Nora goes on a date with self-obsessed actor Nick (a mohawked Justin Theroux), then blind date Charlie (Josh Hamilton). Neither ends well. Nora laments, "Men hate me," but Audrey argues that Nora really hates herself. Her self-confidence gets a boost when she meets Julien (Melvil Poupaud, François Ozon's Time to Leave), a chain-smoking, fedora-sporting Frenchman. Just as she starts to falls for him, Julien returns to Paris, so Nora has to decide whether to stay...or to go. Much like the ladies of Sex and the City (on which Theroux guested), she's the kind of character who appears to have it all, but feels worthless if she isn't in a relationship. It isn't a particularly progressive notion--that the right man will solve every problem--but that doesn't mean plenty of women won't be able to relate. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Broken English Reviews:
Perfect for its genre 
2008-07-24 -
If all American romantic films had this level of authenticity, depth, and poignancy, the entire genre would have a better reputation. This movie manages to be both a light-hearted tale of a slightly flawed woman's search for love and a telling exposition of how relationship to self and relationship in romantic love are inextricably entertwined.
*** warning: the following may be considered to contain spoilers ***
What seems like fate is often just pattern, and we see how we can either cause the past to repeat, partly by our own expectations and reactions that call forth the same results, or how we can allow the unexpected to come out of us and invite new experiences into our lives. Even saying this I greatly over simplify this movie, which has more depth and meaning than I know how to fully convey in written form. That's the beauty of this movie. You really have to see the movie and even then some of how it affects you is not able to be explained, but it still has meaning to you. A truly great story of the search for love. I loved it right down to the ending, which left just as much possibility without promise as real life relationships do.
Seen better, seen worse 
2008-04-06 - 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.
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
2008-03-23 - 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...
Parker Posey commands attention
2008-03-23 - 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.
great movie
2008-03-18 - 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.
