Posey is Perfection in Lyrical Broken English

Nora Wilder (Parker Posey) isn’t exactly confident when it comes to love. In fact, this thirtysomething Manhattanite is actually fairly cynical where it comes to relationships, especially with her mother Vivien (Gena Rowlands) constantly reminding the woman of her single status and best friend Audrey (Drea De Matteo) continually flaunting her supposed “perfect marriage” at every turn.

Parker Posey and Melvin Poupaud in Magnolia Pictures' Broken English

So she starts dating again with disastrous results. Everything is wrong, all wrong, but just about the time the woman is ready to give up completely along comes comical and effervescent Frenchman Julien (Melvin Poupaud). In many ways he’s too good to be true and Nora wants desperately to avoid the same romantic mistakes which have dogged her in the past.

Yet here she is, suddenly in Paris looking to break old patterns and trying to start anew. But what Nora is looking for can’t be found in the glistening visage of the Eiffel Tower or in the gentle caress of Julien’s euphoric touch. What she needs to heal lies somewhere deep inside her very own soul, and until Nora can fix what’s broken there then love is going to keep remaining frustratingly just outside of reach.

First-time writer and director Zoe Cassavetes has crafted a truly sensational winner with her romantic comedy Broken English, and while it can’t quite escape from all of the genre’s clichés the film is just so sparkling and wondrous I doubt anyone watching is going to care. The movie is a bubbly froth of Champagne and chocolate, so entertaining that by the time it runs its 90-minute course I was sorry to see it go.

While credit is certainly due to both Cassavetes’ sprightly written screenplay and to her confidently assured direction, neither is the main reason for this picture’s ebullient success. That honor falls square to Independent Film darling Posey, the actress so wonderful as Nora she ends up delivering one of the top performances I’ve had the good fortune to see this year.

Granted, ever since Party Girl and The House of Yes I’ve been partial to the girl, but just because that’s the case doesn’t make what she accomplishes here any less remarkable. Her Nora is a complicated mess you can’t help but fall in love with even as she manages to tear herself apart, and watching Posey slowly bring this frazzled female to love’s doorstep is absolutely joyous.

I wish I liked her costar near as much as I do her, and while Poupaud is certainly a mesmerizing talent (just watch François Ozon’s Time to Leave) I just don’t think he’s quite up to the challenge here. Thankfully, De Matteo, Justin Theroux, Tim Guniee and especially the timeless Rowlands certainly are. They provide just enough able-bodied character support to give the film a bouncy edge, covering many of the more obvious potholes with their charm, grace and eccentric enthusiasm.

In the end I found there was much to rave about, but of all the things Cassavetes gets right (not the least of which was hiring Andrew Weisblum as her editor) the one thing she hit out of the park was offering the central part to Posey. This movie is her baby, her love song, her aria and, most of all, her showcase, Broken English a sterling testament to the actress’ timeless talents as well as a beauteous comical joy I’m not soon to forget.

Film Rating: êêê  (out of 4)

Additional Links:

-  Broken English Theatrical Trailer