Broken Gardenias

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.

What can I say about this film that hasn't already been said Everything! I sat through it anxious to see what will happen next. And was never disappointed wherever the story took me. The two main characters were a joy to watch, not to mention pleasant to the eyes. I loved how their personalities complimented each other as they grew to know one another. It made me smile to watch them, and I was super happy to see them end up together in the end. This movie was also filled with other characters that kept it not just flowing but also very interesting. I loved how light hearted it was, while still able to capture the intensity of the issues and trials laid before the main characters. It took the audience on an adventurous road trip that few would have the courage to take. I was happy to be along for the ride. I can honestly say I laughed and I cried while watching. Great movie!!!

I've seen a lot of queer movies, and this is by far the worst. The writing, acting, and directing are all painfully awful. In response to the positive reviews on this site (which I suspect may be from people connected to the film), I do not expect a high budget from queer indie films. I don't expect them to be perfect, but I do expect a compelling story with characters I care about. The main character is painfully awkward, not awkward in an adorkable way, so much so that my friend and I cringed whenever she spoke. The chemistry between she and the other lead is ambiguous and confusing. Why is the butch one interested? It doesn't make sense. During the screening I watched at a LGBT film festival, 9 people had walked out by the end (I counted). I stayed, and regretted it. It is not a genderqueer film, as another reviewer stated, unless they mean the inclusion of a very minor character who is on screen for only a few minutes. Usually queer films have some redeeming factor: a moment of humor, a funny portrayal of queer lives that rings true, a character the audience can relate to, etc. This film had none- don't see it. There are far better, or at least less painful, queer films to watch.

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.

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.