MovieChat Forums > Broken English (2008) Discussion > Why is this seen as good?

Why is this seen as good?

posted 16 years ago by lalala08
15 replies | jump to latest

I'm sorry, I wanted to like this but thought it was horrible. The first 15 minutes or so had promise but after that it became painful. Nora's character is whiny and no wonder she doesn't have a guy, she has nothing going for her. She could at least be depressed but also charming in some way, but she wasn't. She should have gone to france and discovered that she didn't need a guy. and too many lines were "on the nose" as they say. i found the french guy too good to be true, any normal person wouldn't be as patient and he seemed to love nora so much but for what reason? so i can't see why people think it was good.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] exleyfan 16 years ago

It was cleverly written and expertly acted. The idea of Parker Posey as devoid of charm is, well, risible. It must be terrible to go through life with bad taste. Opinions differ as to whether there is a cure.

[–] lalala08 16 years ago

If by bad taste, you mean liking engaging films with believable characters, yes I would say life is good. How is going through life being a rude, pretentious a**? If you thought this movie was clever, I feel sorry for you. Your life must be humorless and without heart. Judging by your comment, I'm guessing i'm right.

[–] Kalamata 16 years ago

lalala, you won that one. Your riposte was perfection. Why do some people seem to need to attack others whose opinions differ from their own? Isn't taste a rather subjective, even personal matter? And further, while Parker Posey is, indeed, a charming actress, her character in this film was not. Ms. Posey played the character the way she and the director probably discussed, that is to say, charmless. To point that somehow makes someone tasteless? I do not get that.

[–] Diedo 15 years ago

Well I for one, though that her character was exactly believable because of her flaws. She struck home, because she reminds me of certain facets of myself or people I know or have met. She is way more believable than most characters is similar genres. Anyway, I didn't think this was a masterpiece but it certainly was good in my opinion.

[–] dvoulio 16 years ago

I thoroughly agree..! I too, am mystified as to why this film is supposed to be good.
In vain I looked for something interesting.. and in vain I waited for the ending to show that she had found herself and gave not a hoot for "the man".. ! No .. it had to end in happy-ending fashion.. In vain I waited for something deeper than the usual stereotypes of french men..
In vain I waited for something, anything, to show us something we had not seen before.. some sparkle.. some wit.. *anything* !
Much as I hate the idea.. most good TV shows can run circles around this kind o thing..

[–] bettyo70 16 years ago

I really enjoyed this film! Was it a perfect film? No! But what appealed to me was:

1) Parker Posey: She is one of my favorite actresses. I always feel empathy for her characters. In this film, she is more understated than her usual character roles. And totally believable.

2) The movie captures what I have seen many of my friends go through in their late 20s through 30s: a feeling of being LOST. Wanting to have a great career, but instead being trapped in a nowhere job while everyone around you seems happier and more fulfilled (both in their relationships and jobs). Not to mention dead-end relationships.

3) Melville, the French actor: Not only is he gorgeous, but a very good actor. She and Parker had a lot of chemistry. People complain that no man is that perfect. Well, I disagree with that! Plus, why does every single element of a movie these days have to be so REAL? Blah, blah. What ever happened to a good ole' dash of FANTASY in movies? I'm all for it! Why does everyone have to be depressed and/or dead by the end of a movie... or else it's not REAL. Please! Just because it's an INDIE FILM doesn't mean we can't have a happy ending.

4) I enjoy films that deal with female friendships. Parker and Drea had an interesting relationship. In the beginning, we're suppose to envy Drea's "perfect marriage" and life. Towards the middle-end, we realize that she is struggling much more than Parker's character. And how they both draw strength in each other.

5) The film also shows how much you learn about yourself when you remove yourself from your normal, everyday life. Parker's character learned a lot from the quirky characters in Paris. She opened herself up in a way she was not able to do in her usual environment (NYC).

If you didn't like this movie, that's fine! I'm just sharing what I enjoyed about it. To each, his/her own. The film's weaknesses were definitely its pacing. But overall: an 8 out of 10 for me!

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] JohnS-37 16 years ago

I think I'm the first male to respond on this one and your guess is as good as mine. I can see some people who like this movie but it's a small majority of people.

For a males perspective, this movie wasn't good. It wasn't a good story, it was dull and boring. I agree with the first 15 minutes being intriguing but then Posey changed and got very weird. I too would've been out the door and not looked back. She acted like she had other issues besides men probelms. I'm surprised by everyone who says she acted very well in this movie. I didn't see it.

[–] thenumber19 16 years ago

As much as I like Parker Posey, I don't enjoy this movie. The script is poorly written, with too much pointed dialogue. Nora is not likeable, and even if you have empathy for her, she is not redeeming. Being the daughter of Cassavetes probably helps get a first feature off the ground, but definitely doesn't ensure a good one.

[–] bettyo70 16 years ago

I'm sorry but I'll have to totally disagree with the previous comment from "19".

Even with the flawed dialogue and structure, I completely liked and empathized with Parker's character -- partially because I always enjoy Parker's performances, and also because I know many women of that character's age going through the same problem.

Feeling lost in a big city, around people who are doing jobs that are far more "glamorous". But they themselves are trapped in dead-end jobs or dead-end relationships. It's a tough time. And sometimes all you need is that "far-away" perspective to help you figure things out.

[–] halfofthetruth 15 years ago

I agree completely with bettyo70's two comments...

[–] AVAcado1 15 years ago

I thought this movie was actually quite good! Nora's character was entirely believable...her issues aren't uncommon. Also, yes, her problems stem from the fact that she doesn't have a man but for her a man represents much more than just a relationship. To her, having a guy means she's fulfilled and living her life the way she wanted. Instead...everything is just empty: she doesnt have a guy, her job sucks, her friends are all having a great time in their perfect relationships blah blah blah (except she realizes later that being married to someone you love doesnt necessarily bring you all the happiness in the world).

i think her problem is quite universal just in different forms for people. we tend to think everything would be better if just ONE thing in our life was how we wanted it. I think that way alllll the time. and then i realize that's dumb and it doesn't work that way.

and she DOES change as a character. ALthough she ends up with Julien (DLFKDSJLSDKJLKSDJFLSDKFJLSDKFJSDLKJ sdlfjsdlkfjslkfjlksdfj) in the end, she had already found herself more as a person. It's almost as if Julien is a metaphor for her own self-actualization..at first it's fleeting and completely out of her control and then later she finds it. kinda? yeah?

[–] DeniP 15 years ago

I absolutely agree. The movie just plain sucked.

[–] iner_ave 15 years ago

Broken English tries to combine indie plot story with trivial romantic-comedy situations. (I'd like to believe this has been done for the sake of broader audience.) And hence the result - it's neither indie or anything.