Zoe Cassavetes' Broken English

This daughter of film legend du jour breathes new life into a tired genre. The single woman as comedic fodder has translated into film-industry gold over the last few years. Trite happy endings have drawn in female moviegoers to see the predictable likes of Bridget Jones' Diary, Love Actually, and essentially every other Hugh Grant vehicle. Where other romantic comedies about the tragedy of being a spinster have failed, Zoe Cassavetes' writing and directing debut, Broken English, is an honest, often bleak, glimpse into the life of Nora Wilder--played by the ever-charismatic Parker Posey.

Nora's existence as a New Yorker in charge of hospitality at a hotel has reached the pinnacle of its brilliant mediocrity. The gravity of her situation becomes unavoidably apparent when she attends her only friend's fifth anniversary party. Her mother, played by Cassavetes' own matriarch Gena Rowlands, is also there, chiding Nora for not having had the foresight to steal her best friend Audrey's (Drea de Matteo) husband before it was too late. All of this is more than Nora can tolerate. The following day at work, she searches the internet for single men between the ages of eighteen and forty-two. The online dating service turns up the reply: “No results found.”

Just when Nora has resigned herself to a life of drunken solicitude, she encounters an big-shot actor staying at her hotel, played by American Psycho co-star Justin Theroux (who we look forward to seeing as Jesus in David Wain's upcoming film The Ten) . After complaining to the hotel staff about not getting the room he requested, Nora emerges from her bunker of an office to appease him. Enamored by her poise under pressure, he asks her to dinner. Nora, ignoring her better judgment, accepts the invitation.

Slighted yet again, Nora resorts to going to her mother for comfort. Over lunch the next day, Nora laments, “I'm so desperate I can't stand the scent of my own desperation.” Concerned, her mother offers to set her up with a bachelor named Brad (portrayed by Griffin Dunne of After Hours and An American Warewolf in London fame).

What starts out as a promising date turns into another disastrous failure when Brad runs into his ex at the movie theater and admits to Nora that he is still in love with her.

Being that Nora's past two jaunts into the realm of the romantic have led her to the conclusion, “Men hate me,” she figures it might be wise to take a break from the dating scene. It's with this mindset that she attends a Fourth of July party, where she meets Julien, a wandering Frenchman who came to the States on a whim to work on the same film set as the woman of his transient desire.

Instantly captivated by Nora's dry humor and cynicism, Julien needles her into staying at the party. This time, Nora is not as easily persuaded into believing something good can happen to her. When Julien tries to kiss her, she thwarts him. It is not until after they have spent the entire weekend together that she realizes Julien may not be like the others.

But of course her epiphany must come at the worst possible moment. Julien tells her that he is going back to France and that he wants her to come with him. Nora is hesitant to take such a gamble on the prospect of love and must decide if she can afford to waste any more time on the caprices of attraction.

Posey’s “acting” is physical and humorous, as in her other films, but falls short for moviegoers who eventually grasp that she is basically playing herself. Still, Posey is a delight to watch in this role and few other actresses have the endearing quirkiness to make Nora an empathetic character.

On the directorial side, Cassavetes is still searching for her stylistic voice. Most of the scenes are static, simply documenting what is on screen rather than ever trying to suggest something more. For instance, in a scene during which Nora is gushing to Audrey about her actor boyfriend, an entertainment news report about his relationship with another actress flashes on the TV screen. All of this occurs with very little shift in character point of view. No movement occurs with the camera to get us inside of Nora’s head and make us feel as used and rejected as she does.

Cassavetes’ screenplay is clearly grounded in her own experiences. The earnestness of her writing is evident on the screen and the fact that she was given twenty days (fifteen in New York, five in Paris) to shoot the film on a million dollar budget speaks volumes about what a movie can be when there is passion behind it.

The film’s conclusion is not what viewers have come to expect with romantic comedies, leaving the audience with a more open-ended interpretation of what the future holds for Nora. It is the ending that fortifies Cassavetes’ strict adherence to realism, a choice that not every filmmaker has the courage to employ throughout his or her story.

Ultimately, Cassavetes’ genuine portrayal of life and love is what makes Broken English so immensely captivating.

by Genna Rivieccio


Zoe Cassavets' Broken English on:
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