BROKEDOWN PALACE
A 20th Century Fox release

review by Joe Mauceri

Two female high school friends set out on a graduation trip that lands them in a Thai prison. Their imprisonment tests their friendship and values.

The basic premise that these two 18-something girls would be on their own in Thailand is a bit hard to believe to being with. Danes and Beckinsale play it a bit too naive and innocent. Their situation, while dire, never seems menacing. The Thai prison is bad, but seems too livable. The transitional sequences feature some good music, but there are too many and are long. In the end, they play like mini music videos. The narrator, Danes' character, comes all the way up to a point where the film should have an emotional impact, but falls short of the mark. The most annoying shot is the final one. The smirk, not even smile, on the character's face undermines a lot of the emotional intensity of the climax. The most interesting characters are Hank and Yon Green. Bill Pullman is engaging as the American who practices law in Thailand, and Jacqui Kim is equally entertaining. Pullman's character is at time a bit stereotypical, but he does have a few sincere moments to make it memorable. BROKEDOWN PALACE is a light drama that doesn't seem realistic. The story plays like a young adult version of "Midnight Express." It just isn't realistic when you consider it in terms of last summers "Return to Paradise." It could possibly affect 16 to 17-year-old Midwestern girls. However, I doubt any inner city youths would find it believable. CREW: Director - Jonathan Kaplan; Screenplay/Story - David Arata; Story - Adam Fields; Producer - Adam Fields; Executive Producer - A. Kitman Ho; Cinematography - Tom Sigel; Score - David Newman; Production Designer - James William Newport; Costume Designer - April Ferry. CAST: Alice Marano - Claire Danes; Darlene Davis - Kate Beckinsale; Hank "Yankee" Greene - Bill Pullman; Nick Parks - Daniel Lapaine; Yon Green - Jacqui Kim; Roy Knox - Lou Diamond Phillips.

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