Broken English
Director John Cassavetes maintained that love was the most vital and significant theme to be explored in film, and that the characters through whom we explore these themes are flawed, ambiguous and imperfect.
His daughter Zoe carries on his tradition in Broken English: a far more wistful tale than one could imagine her father making, yet still honouring the topic that captivated him for decades.
Nora Wilder (Parker Posey), is in her thirties, but not in a relationship. And little wonder. The dates she can secure, are disastrous. From an egocentric actor, to a man obsessed with his ex, Nora's attempts to find Mr Right are thwarted by the sheer lack of suitable candidates.
Until Julien comes along. He seems sensitive, kind and genuinely interested in her, in spite of her neuroses, and reluctance to allow herself to believe he is on the level and become involved.
But once he's gone, she can't seem to get him out of her mind, and embarks on a journey to find him.
The journey, of course, is really a journey of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and the gradual realisation that in order to find love, one must be sufficiently open-hearted to receive it. Broken English will strike some as corny: why would someone so seemingly perfect in appearance and demeanour as Julien, persist with a neurotic woman like Nora?
Nevertheless, this film is worth watching, if only for the curiosity of seeing a film directed by the progeny of one of American Film's greatest couplings, between John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands, the latter of whom makes an appearance in this film. Parker Posey's performance is also notable, and the assortment of concerned relatives and family friends are somewhat amusing.