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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Magnolia
Salesrank: 18185
Released: August 21, 2007 |
| Our Price: $7.38 |
| Used Price: $3.97 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
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:
My new favorite movie! 
2009-07-22 - I loved Broken English, and my husband had to admit he liked it too. This movie is one of those rare movies that you can actually relate to-where the dialgoue and situations remind you of real people. It's romantic without being sappy, and doesn't even have those unnecessary sex scenes that so many directors feel HAVE to be included in any love story. Despite what other reviews have indicated, I don't get tired of watching characters discover themselves and change their situations in pursuit of happiness. Don't all of us experience that at multiple times in our lives?
I would recommend this movie to anyone looking for a little substance and real film-making talent in their movie-watching experience.
Updated modern classic
2009-03-26 - Though the tale of looking for love is old, there's really nothing old-fashioned about this effort. Parker Posey is pitch perfect in the lead. She looks increasingly lost as the film churns through her various lovers until she meets a French man in NYC. Film-maker Zoe Cassavetes seems to go above and beyond to ensure that no cliches are allowed in as the tale unwinds from scene to scene. This leaves a great impression for her first effort. Watch it.
Parker Posey and Her Wonderful Acting Keep "Broken English" Afloat 
2009-01-16 - In "Broken English" a New York hotel concierge Nora Wilder (perfectly cast Parker Posey) meets her perfect man in the winsome Parisian Julien (Melvil Poupaud) visiting the city. However, bring insecure (partly because of her recent date with a self-obsessed actor Nick Gable played by Justin Theroux), she cannot say "Yes" when she knows she should.
"Broken English is written and directed by Zoe R. Cassavetes, daughter of late John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands (who briefly appears as Nora's mother). Anyone who knows the style of John Cassavetes as director (responsible for "Shadows," "Faces" and other great films) will not be surprised that his daughter employed a low-key approach to her filmmaking. Events are depicted in a much more subdued way than most Hollywood romantic comedies and its subtlety is one of the merits of the film.
Unfortunately, the materials themselves covered here are not particularly new. What is more disappointing is the characters and dialogues. Despite the excellent acting from Melvil Poupaud, the French traveler Julien is almost formulaic, too good a person to be true and so are Nora's mother and best friend Audrey (Drea de Matteo, who turns in a fine performance). Their characters are rather one-note, do not engage our interest or attention.
The greatest part of the film is, of course, Parker Posey. You will be watching her brilliant acting as Nora, but to me it seems as if Parker Posey has taken over the role and banished Nora out of it. Sometimes a talented actor gives his or her character a life that a by-the-numbers script fails to give, and I think this is what is happening here.
A Modern Classic
2008-12-16 - Zoey Cassavetes carries on the family tradition of her famous family, John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands. This film was endearing and captivating as well as possessing just the right amount of neurotic anxiety that has commonly plagued New York characters. Parker Posey and Melvil Poupaud are captivating in this Modern Romantic Drama. When the film ended, I immediately wanted more. Perhaps Zoey would consider picking up where they left off. I highly recommend this film for 30 somethings still trying to figure it all out.
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.
