305 days, 305 films – Broken English

“Most people are together just so they are not alone. But some people want magic. I think you are one of those people”

Film #10- Broken English

The first time I saw Broken English I left the theater feeling uneasy about Guillaume, a French man who speaks little English and spending few days in NYC. Why? Because I felt he was a bit un-understanding with Nora, that he kept asking her to explain things that couldn’t be explained. I blamed it on the language barrier, I blamed it on his lack of empathy and I blamed it on the French people. It wasn’t until a friend told me that the point was that even though he spoke “broken English” he was still able to communicate with Nora very directly. It was her that over complicated things. It then hit me, we live in times where we do over-complicate feelings involved in relationships. Guillaume is there to show the audience how easy communicating between people can be. Things are a lot more straightforward than our head tends to lead us to believe. You either want something or you don’t, everything else is an excuse. Yes you can’t just pack your bags and leave but you can work towards that goal without blaming other factors that are irrelevant.

Nora is stuck in a funky place. Meeting a man at a party she almost didn’t go to changes a big part of her life. Sounds unrealistic? I don’t think so. I think that sometimes things do happen when you’re at the right time, the right place…and life is all about taking chances. I don’t think I have witnessed such a relatable character in some while. I’ve always enjoyed the quirkiness of Parker Posey and she does a fantastic job with Nora.  It’s the kind of character that you have to experience to come to the realization that you might have lived in her shoes at some point in your life.

This film is very sweet and at times very funny.  Broken English is available at your neighborhood video rental store and at Netflix. You can even watch it instantly on Netflix!