Broken English (2007)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Zoe R. Cassavetes

Writer:

Zoe R. Cassavetes (writer)

Release Date:

19 July 2007 (Singapore)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Nora Wilder is freaking out. Everyone around her is in a relationship, is married, or has children. Nora is in her thirties...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Best Friend | Friend | Frenchman | Affair

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Parker Posey	...	Nora Wilder
Drea de Matteo	...	Audrey Andrews
Tim Guinee	...	Mark Andrews
Gena Rowlands	...	Vivien Wilder-Mann
Peter Bogdanovich	...	Irving Mann
Roy Thinnes	...	Peter Andrews
Michael Panes	...	Glen
Justin Theroux	...	Nick Gable
Philip Pavel	...	Front Desk Worker
Melvil Poupaud	...	Julien
Dana Ivey	...	Elinor Gregory
William Wise	...	William Gregory
Josh Hamilton	...	Charlie Ross
Caitlin Keats	...	Jennifer Ross
Russell Steinberg	...	Carl (as Russel Steinberg)

Also Known As:

Broken English (Japan: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content, brief drug use and language.

Runtime:

97 min | USA:93 min

Country:

USA | France | Japan

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-7

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

HDNet Films

Quotes:

Vivien Wilder-Mann: The good ones get snapped up so quickly at your age.

Movie Connections:

Features In a Lonely Place (1950)

Soundtrack:

Walking on the Moon

A Little Zoë Cassavetes Triumph

BROKEN English has so many of the elements of films that are becoming difficult to find these days - superb intelligent script, a story that is frankly what it is instead of an overdone parody of itself, a director who knows how to pace a storyline to keep it compelling, and a cast of first class actors who have the gift of diving right to the core of characters we all meet every day and making us care about them. Writer/director Zoë Cassavetes may be young in her trade, but she here gives evidence that she clearly knows her way about creating fine movies! Nora Wilder (a mesmerizingly fine Parker Posey) has looks, a good job as a client relations director of a smart New York hotel, but she is now in her thirties and in comparison to her friends she is a social wasteland. She simply cannot find a satisfying relationship in this time of fast one night stands. Her mother (Gena Rowlands) is supportive of her plight and her best friend Audrey (Drea De Mateo, proving that she indeed is a fine actress) who is supposedly in a 'good marriage' with Mark (Tom Guinee) understands her needs and is willing to help, but all Nora can end up with are losers like mouthy actor Nick Gable (Justin Theroux) and morning after hangovers - until she encounters Frenchman Julien (Melvil Poupaud). Julien sees and appreciates Nora for who she is and while Nora seems on the brink of having found the perfect guy, her past history of failed romances prevents her from staying in the moment. But when Julien must return to Paris (seemingly the door of exit for yet another mismatch), Nora eventually gathers her courage and accompanied by Audrey sets off to Paris in hopes of joining the effervescent Julien. In Paris the two women search but cannot find Julien, but what Nora finds is herself - and that is rewarded by a climax that brings the film to a satisfying close.

Though Parker Posey has given us some excellent independent film roles in the past, nothing can match the magic she brings to this role. In fact the entire cast is so fine and so well motivated and directed by Cassavetes that every detail of the film is polished and shines like a the little triumph the film is. Highly recommended. Grady Harp