Brokedown Palace

Starring: Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Pullman, Lou Diamond Phillips, Paul Walker (uncredited)
Directed by: Jonathan Kaplan
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two women (Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale) are arrested for smuggling drugs in Thailand. They proclaim their innocence, but face lengthy prison sentences.

Review:

Tim: Brokedown Palace is an interesting movie simply because it's not more interesting. You have a perfect setup for a thriller- two American girls are accused of smuggling drugs in Thailand. The legal system seems quite sketchy and they both end up with very long jail sentences despite vehement declarations of their innocence. They seem completely beyond hope, save for an American lawyer in Thailand who believes there is more to the story and wages a one-man war to set them free. Man, that sounds like the most interesting, exciting, thrilling movie. I would sign up to see that.

Unfortunately, one of the most striking characteristics of this film is how few of those opportunities it seizes. How could this movie be only marginally exciting? How could audience interest wane so much during this 100 minute film? It's incredibly perplexing. You'd think this story of two young American girls in a brutal Thai prison, where they don't speak the language or fully understand the culture would be riveting. Rather than gasps, we're left with yawns.

Now, don't get me wrong- I did not hate Brokedown Palace. It's a perfectly average movie. I was interested to find out what happens to these two girls. But my interest level remained fairly middle-of-the-road. There was no passion behind it. I never cared on any kind of emotional level. It's shocking to me that this happened. The story just kind of plods along, missing out on any opportunity to make the audience feel anything. That is a shame, and it's the major reason why this movie doesn't live up to its potential.

The cast is fine. Claire Danes did a decent job, although I didn't love her performance. She played the part fine, but she did nothing to establish any kind of emotional connection to the audience. I felt nothing for her character. Kate Beckinsale was slightly better, but just barely. I felt a little for her character, but again, not nearly enough. I never really believed Danes and Beckinsale were lifelong friends- they just didn't have that level of familiarly or comfort with each other. I liked the inclusion of Bill Pullman- I've always been a fan of Pullman, even if every cell in my brain tells me not to be. I wouldn't call his performance here strong, but it worked. Lou Diamond Phillips is wasted in a pointless role. Also, look for Paul Walker in a blind-and-you'll-miss it uncredited performance. The cast as a whole just did not do enough to engage the audience.

I will admit that I found the ending to be one of the strongest parts of the film. I really wasn't sure how it would end, and I did not guess correctly. I thought the film's conclusion was memorable and it just started to stir some emotions. It's not nearly enough to save a film that meandered aimlessly for 90 minutes, but at least it does end on a higher note.

Brokedown Palace is a decent film, but man, did it squander a lot of potential. I can't believe how average the movie was, and how rarely did it do anything memorable. This film had every reason to be significantly better than it was.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Hostel, Traffic