Brokedown Palace
by Jonathan Kaplan
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bill Pullman, Claire Danes, Jacqueline Kim, Kate Beckinsale, Lou Diamond PhillipsDirector: Jonathan Kaplan
Brand: DANES,CLAIRE
Cinematographer: Newton Thomas Sigel
Editor: Curtiss Clayton
Producer: A. Kitman Ho
Producer: Adam Fields
Writer: Adam Fields
Producer: Lope V. Juban Jr.
Writer: David Arata
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-02-15
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of Brokedown Palace
Movie Review: Impressive drama truly stands up and delivers...
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember when this movie first came out. I was dying to see it for at the time Claire Danes was just everything I thought I wanted in a woman and so I just had to see every film she accompanied. Then, about two weeks in it was yanked from each and every theater in my area and I had to wait the long haul to video before I could see it. I'm sure it goes without saying that the date of its release I was at my local video store swooping up a copy. I know that the film has taken its share of hits but in all honestly `Brokedown Palace' is a very compelling, believable and emotional film. I'm actually shocked by any and all negative comments. The entire cast, mostly Danes, really invest all they have into their characters and the story is so heartbreakingly real I urged to recommend this film and any and everyone.
The film follows two close friends, Alice and Darlene, as they slip away to share one last rendezvous before college. Alice has always been the wild child. She grew up in a broken home and thus lives her life on the edge and foolishly. Darlene on the other hand has always been more sheltered by her upstanding and strict parents and so she's much more reluctant to ditch their plans for Hawaii for a getaway to Thailand. Alice is very persuasive and so before she knows it Darlene has lied to her parents and hopped a plane to Asia with her partner in crime. Their accommodations are far from homey but it's an experience they'll never forget. Soon though, that experience turns sour. After a chance meeting with a handsome Australian the girls find themselves in possession of heroin and in the hands of the Thai court system. I've always heard rumors of the strict and oppressive laws in the Orient, especially towards foreigners but here their customs and judgments are harshly exposed.
The girls find themselves sentenced to 33 years in prison with no way to get out despite the effort on the part of Darlene's father. Alice enlists the help of American lawyer Hank, played by Bill Pullman, a man who comes across a little money hungry in the beginning but by the end unveils his true caring colors The film covers the girls fight for freedom, their fight for understanding and their fight amongst themselves to stay grounded. The girl's relationship is fleshed out extremely well and is very believable. While Alice and Darlene are best friends they are also very different people and as the blame game starts to set in they find themselves tearing away from one another in an effort to establish innocence.
The performances are strong, but Claire Danes shines so brightly here it's ridiculous. Her character is so unbelievable real, so raw and understandable that I break down in tears almost every time I watch this film. The scenes where she begs her father for money or pleads on her knees for an act of kindness are so heartbreaking, so devastating. Claire Danes has proven herself time and time again that she is one of our finest young talents. I'm still angered at the fact that the Academy fails to recognize her despite her consistent brilliance. They've had plenty of chances (`Little Women' being the most Oscar friendly I would assume), this performance included, yet they continue to pass her over. Alas, at least we can sit back and relish in the very concept of her immense talent.
Summary of Brokedown Palace
In this riveting thriller, Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale star as two best friends whose dream vacation becomes a nightmare. Alice (Danes) is impulsive and reckless; Darlene (Beckinsale) is more reserved. But when each falls for the same mysterious man, both girls throw caution to the wind, and in one instant, their lives are changed forever. Now in a foreign land, they must prove their innocence before it's too late. Bill Pullman co-stars in this "compelling" (People Magazine) tale of self-discovery and the ultimate sacrifice for a friend!Alice (Claire Danes) and Darlene (Kate Beckinsale) are best friends on their post-high-school whirlwind vacation. Telling their parents they're off for Hawaii, they head instead to Thailand, where they stay at a $6-a-night dive and sneak drinks at a posh hotel. They both fall sway to the charms of a handsome Australian (Daniel Lapaine), who invites them to Hong Kong. Off they go, although unbeknownst to them (or is it? this question is never fully answered), one of them has heroin in her backpack. Sentenced to 33 years in a Thai jail, they find their friendship begins to deteriorate as their trust in each other fades. They enlist the help of Yankee Hank (Bill Pullman), a greedy but knowledgeable American lawyer living in Asia.
The main flaws of this film are the capital-L lessons: friendship is powerful, don't trust strangers, nice girls shouldn't drink and sleep around. The film's bleakest moments, in the jail, aren't all that bad, and in this respect Brokedown Palace has nothing on the intensity of films such as Midnight Express or even Return to Paradise. Yet Danes and Beckinsale prove they are strong actresses, and their characters' friendship is suitably complex and believable. --Jenny Brown
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