Broken Gardenias

And not even the best worst movie ever. (Troll 2!) Just painfully, painfully bad.

I went to go see this with a friend at a Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and generally, folks at this film festival are pretty forgiving when it comes to shitty movies (we are so used to them). Not so this time! People kept on walking out during the movie - the first time I'd ever seen this happen in like ... close to seven years of attending this particular festival.

And I can't blame them. What makes this movie so terrible, you ask?

(1) The writing. I didn't develop a strong sense of who anyone in this particular movie was, or why they continued to maintain relationships with each other, or why they made any given decision. One character is an anxious panda. The other character is not. Ta-dah! Those are your characters. Now watch them do things that don't make sense.

(2) The complete and utter absence of a coherent plot. The less said about this, the better. I still find myself thinking about why particular scenes in the movie happened.

(3) The filming / editing. I know it's a low-budget movie, but that doesn't mean that you should end the movie with the soundtrack to the Breakfast Club.

This movie is not particularly representative of queer aesthetics. Just because it is bad and confusing doesn't make it queer, you all. Do not be mislead and do not waste two hours of your life. You could spend that time cleaning out your fridge or watching grass grow, both of which would be vastly more enjoyable than watching this movie.

This film lacks three main components: good acting, a good script, and cohesive direction. On paper, the main character has a compelling story, but the actor portraying her is more childish than child-like. The character of Sam was pretty much the only memorable and well played one in the bunch. The plot and characters are contrived and cartoon-ish. Plot points are dropped while others are used to smash the audience on the head over and over again. Specifically, two useless characters keep showing up and, although the audience would have to be brain-dead to not know what was coming up, I know I lost any interest in the ending long before it arrived.

I went to various Frameline movies while in San Fran, and this movie caught my eye. It is a heartwarming movie that tells the story of a girl who is on a journey of finding not only her father, but herself. Actors are young, but did a great job at portraying their characters. Jenni's character is very multifaceted into once and the actress did a great job in being able to differentiate the between the different characteristics. Great choices in choosing the actors because they all seem to fit together into each other's parts. It made you become her biggest fan because you could definitely relate to her in various parts throughout the movie, which makes it easier to connect to the character.

As an indie film, it was well shot and had great scenes visually, (not sure of their budget). Few holes in the movie, but something worth watching again. Overall, enjoyed the movie.

I recently caught the screenings of Broken Gardenias at the Los Angeles Women's Film Festival and the Independent Filmmakers Showcase in Los Angeles. Being I understood the vision and direction of the film after two viewings versus having "walked out at the 3/4 mark or so", my review is in sharp contrast to the previous two I've read on here. Contrary to the opinions of the other reviewers, I found this film to be an exceptional piece of indie filmmaking, along with sending me off with a balanced variety of positive reactions. The point of this film may have been missed by others but I very much got it. By the looks of it where I'm from, so did the crowd, as everyone in the theaters showed equal appreciation upon conclusion. The film is about main character Jenni, a young woman and orphan, personified by an innocent, childlike, awkward nature. She finds herself facing a number of challenging life events and while in the midst, encounters the character of Sam who is quite the opposite- street savvy confident, and cool. The two develop a connection and thrust themselves out on a journey in search of Jenni's Father whom she hasn't seen or heard from since childhood. With only a photo in hand and a vehicle that doesn't necessarily belong to either, the two set out on a road trip where they find themselves on a roller coaster of adventures which exposes realities and at times weirdness of others that very much exists in this world. The method of storytelling and satire is both clever and endearing, in which I was able to intellectually connect. I found the film to be a great mixture of dark comedy, drama and romance. In equal parts, I credit the Writer, Actors, Director and Cinematographer with creating solid framework and a film worthy of much praise.

Jenni is described as a 'super nerd' and a bit of a doormat. She has got hold of the wrong end of the stick in the life's fortune game and has had a life that few would envy. So in desperation she attempts to end her life. Enter Sam who is feisty, street wise and has a heart. She decides to help her newly acquired friend and so they head off to find Jenni's long lost father – along the way a bond grows between them.

Now this is a sweet movie and some of the scenes are borderline brilliant, but it can be a bit slow in places too and to be honest it ain't that funny. However it is one that will stay with you for the right reasons. The acting is all more than solid and it is also quite touching in places.

It is an independent effort and has had mixed reviews but most being positive – especially amongst younger women on IMDb. I am a man and I actually thought this had a really positive message and I quite enjoyed it – hence my rating which is me being generous but I like to encourage indie film makers.