Broken English (1996)
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82% of critics liked it
(17 reviews) -
80% of users liked it
(41 ratings)
Along with Once Were Warriors, Broken English effectively captures contemporary New Zealand as a society in transition. Broken English dramatizes how the effect of immigration to the cities of New Zealand by both its native peoples, the Maoris, and Europeans seeking refuge from political persecution… More Along with Once Were Warriors, Broken English effectively captures contemporary New Zealand as a society in transition. Broken English dramatizes how the effect of immigration to the cities of New Zealand by both its native peoples, the Maoris, and Europeans seeking refuge from political persecution has not produced a harmonious melting pot. Ivan (Rade Serbedzija) is an embittered Croatian who fled to his wife's native Aukland when war broke out in Bosnia. Brooding over TV news reports on what is happening to his homeland (and displaying more than a little guilt over his flight from there), Ivan lashes out at anyone outside of his insulated Croatian community, including his gentle Maori neighbors. His drug-running business allows him a comfortable lifestyle, but he's still irritated that his young adult daughters won't mind him. The eldest, Nina (Aleksandra Vujcic), is a waitress who takes up with a colleague, a Maori cook named Eddie (Julian "Sonny" Arahanga, who also appeared in Once Were Warriors), in part because he's attractive but also to tweak her father. Complicating matters is an arranged marriage Nina has agreed to with a Chinese immigrant colleague at the restaurant; he's willing to pay her 16,000 dollars just to make his residency legal, so he can be with his girlfriend, Clara. Originally rated NC-17 for an energetic but hardly explicit sex scene between Nina and Eddie, the film was later edited to earn an "R" rating. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- R, 1 hr. 32 min.
- Directed By
- Gregor Nicholas
- Written By
- Gregor Nicholas, Johnana Pigott, Jim Salter
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
- On DVD
- Jan 20, 1998
Critic Reviews
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Mike Clark, USA Today
An absorbing portrait of New Zealand's ill-blended melting pot.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The situation is not original, but the setting makes it seem so, and the director and co-writer, Gregor Nicholas, is alert to nuances of the characters.
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Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
Zoe Cassavetes... lets Nora's complicated emotional story play out, and she finds in Posey a strong collaborator in catching all of Nora's tics and charms.
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
Cast
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Aleksandra Vujcicas Nina -
Rade Serbedzijaas Ivan -
Julian "Sonny" Arahangaas Eddie
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Temuera Morrisonas Manu -
Greg Johnsonas Doug -
Yang Li-chingas Wu
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