Broken English

I like Parker Posey, she is obviously a talented actress and (I like to fantasize) chooses a lot of roles in indie films. This movie is obviously something that meant a lot to the writer/director, because it is both detailed and nonlinear. However, I did not find it really interesting. Maybe because I am a guy and I am not American.

The story is about a neurotic New York woman, desperate to find true love, and finally stumbling on it by accident with a French guy. Their romance is not everything that happens in the film, though. You have to spend a lot of time following her failed relationships, both sentimental and at work, her pushy mother, the failing marriage of her best friend and a lot of other stuff. As a "life movie" how my parents called this kind of stories, it makes a good one, but not much of an attractive one. Or maybe I just didn't empathize with anyone in it.

Bottom line: solid direction and acting, but quite a bore of a script. Women might enjoy it more, but judging by the reaction of my wife, it takes a bit more than just gender.

This movie was understated and may seem slow to some, but if you are able to understand the subtlety of Parker Posey's facial expressions, will you understand the journey of the movie. The French actor did a remarkable job at being real, interested, while avoid the stereotypical European romantic. His role was solid and his confidence greatly contrasted Parker Posey, whose role was a passage of the female soul during moments of indecision and self-doubt. To me, and to anyone who has had a similar experience, the movie holds great weight. I also was partial to the film's soundtrack, which features a great song by Soundtrack and Scratch Massive. It adds to the movie and to its subtle introspection.

It is a story that could have been very tired and cheesy but the script and acting made this one of the most superbly created film in modern day movie history.

The emotional nuances throughout the film was impeccably delivered by both Posey and Poupaud. Cassavetes achieves the perfect balance of emotion and understatement in the realistic yet hopeful portrayal of a woman's struggle with her own insecurities.

Melvil Poupaud however is the true gem of the film. His portrayal of Julien is masterfully executed and inexplicably touching. This movie is a rare find.

Parker Posey and a generally good cast struggle against an underdone script. You can sort of see what the writer and director intended, but it doesn't really come off. In spite of Parker's best efforts, and they are quite fine, this film meanders along on its surface. People suffer in affluent, superficial ways. There's lots of whining about alienation and loneliness. Yet no one has any observable problems that warrant their apparent dysfunction. It's hard to feel much affinity for the spoiled, self-indulgent female friends who complain about their fates in a somewhat muddled fashion. This is a story where character development is essential, but nothing of the sort arrives in time to redeem the unlikeable best friends whose personal travails should evoke interest and sympathy from the audience.

One of my most anticipated films of the year turns out to be a bit of a typical rom-dram snoozer. Despite a stellar cast, Zoe Cassavettes' first film is a bit of a misfire. It seems she was going for an old-school type of romance film with a modern (yet unoriginal) twist, but I watched this thinking "If I wanted to watch an old-fashioned romantic drama, I'd rather just watch a movie from the 40s." Not to compare this to the breakthrough film of that-other-daughter-of-a-famous-director, but this totally has a "Lost in Translation" vibe going on. Except it isn't nearly as engrossing or well-made. The movie's best feature is, of course, Parker Posey. I do give credit to Cassavettes for taking a chance to show something that not many other directors have been willing to do--that Posey is a brilliant dramatic actress. Sure, she's a brilliant comedienne and this is what she's known for, but one look at "Broken English" or "Personal Velocity will" prove that this woman is every bit as good as your Streeps or your Hepburns. She just needs better roles! Justin Theroux is excellent, though only in the film for 15 minutes or so. I do fear he's getting typecast as the cocky yuppie or Hollywood type. So this one isn't a total waste of time, but I'd say it's for fans of the cast only.