broken broken english

There is nothing more disappointing then going to a film, seeing something that you weren’t expecting, and having the unexpected product not work. Sadly, that is what happened when I took in the new film BROKEN ENGLISH. Advertised as an Indie romance, the story follows Parker Posey, as she struggles to find love in NYC. I think in some ways, I was expecting a young, hip, new SEX AND THE CITY. This is not what I got. Posey is a fun actress. She is the queen of creating fun, quirky, interesting, and complex characters, and making them human. The woman she plays is actually pretty damaged. At one point she says to her best friend, or her best friend says to her that she hasn’t been able to go to sleep in years without a pill or a drink. Um, I found this moment surprisingly dark. I realize that this is a time where hopeful romanticism in many ways has died. And perhaps, by watching so many films on the Turner Classic Movie station, I am setting myself up to be disappointed by a dark look at contemporary love. Ms. Posey’s character is feeling hopeless, hurt, depressed, and is barely functioning, and should probably be on a high-dose antidepressant. After two hopeless/failed dates, she vows to stay away from love. She then meets a random Frenchman who pushes her to open up her heart just in time for him to leave and go back to Paris. So, things have gone from crappy to worse. Not even great cameos from Josh Hamilton and Justin Theroux can save the dark, plodding film. I have to mention that there are some good moments in the film. Sadly, they are bogged down by the very dark feel, and then forced uplifting ending (too little, too late?) to pull this movie out of its romantic toilet flush. First-time filmmaker Zoe Cassavetes shows promise, and I hope that she will do more. It is always good news for young, female filmmakers to come on the scene. However, this uneven film doesn’t quite work, and it’s a shame, because there is always room for a great love story in NYC.

Final thoughts: Maybe add it to your NetFlix list for a dark, dark day when you want to see unhappy people everywhere.

Photo credit: www.movieweb.com