Brokedown Palace (1999) User Reviews

Interesting prison-drama about a girls accused of heroin trafficking in Thailand

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 18 February 2008]

The film concerns about a pair young girls(Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale) take a vice-filled vacation to Thailand . Then they're deceived by an Australian drug dealer. Suddenly, they're busted in the Thai airport attempting to smuggle hard drug in their luggage . Then, they're are sentenced to a nightmare and cruel prison as an example to other potential smugglers. The young girls are convicted long time in a squalid third world prison. They're only helped by an expatriate advocate(Bill Pullman) in law and his supporter(Jacqueline Kim). Later enduring tremendous physical and mental , the girls seek their chance at escape.

This powerful and gripping movie is a jail-drama based indirectly on true events. The picture relies heavily on the enjoyable relationship between Beckinsale and Danes, more than on legal problems and brutal conditions from prison. Despite contributing a final twist to the extremely suspenseful climax , Claire Danes 's role feels too contrived and is the greatest gap in the movie. The story follows the wake of ¨Midnight express(Alan Parker)¨ and and ¨Return of paradise(Joseph Ruben)¨. The film is shot in Phillipines , as the government of Thailand was none too pleased by the screenplay. The motion picture is well directed by Jonathan Kaplan, he's a veteran director with hits: ¨Accused,Love field¨ and flops : ¨Unlawful entry, Bad girls¨and today working for television: ¨Law and order, Without a trace, Crossing Jordan, ER¨, among others. Rating: Good and well worth seeing.

Gorgeous filming, and terrible screen writing...a maddening mix

[secondtake · 5/10 · 14 July 2010]

Brokedown Palace (1999)

Who wouldn't have some curiosity and tension about two pretty young women (played by pretty young actresses, anyway), trapped in a Thai prison system for drug smuggling? But boy is this a clunky construction for a movie. First of all, the women are stupid. They admit to being stupid, but they are selfish and frivolous and you really couldn't care less if they went to jail. On the other hand, you can picture being in a foreign country and losing track of things a little and getting victimized and so you do, after all, get involved and hope for justice.

There is (sometimes) a tense progression of increasingly discouraging events, and the prison system is a tough place. And the sets and filming are really great. If only the writing was remotely convincing and smart. It's not. Even the direction is painful, emphasizing not the facts or some sense of possible realism, but an armchair version of what this kind of scenario might mean to two relatively innocent girls is just a little embarrassing. The director (Jonathan Kaplan) is the same one who missed a huge opportunity with some amazing material filming In Cold Blood, and he is, understandably, most known for television, which takes a different kind of sensibility. And it's also very slow, taking a few turns or progressions and stretching a two hour movie out of it.

It's a tough ride if you take it at face value. And it's a shame, because there is a Midnight Express hidden in here somewhere. There are some really gorgeous moments, aside from the travelogue stuff, and I think Claire Danes, at least, is a good actress. Just an example of how many elements it takes to align and get a great movie.

The actresses keep it interesting

[sarastro7 · 7/10 · 28 January 2005]

It's refreshing to see a movie that you think will end happily just like almost every other American movie, and then be surprised when that doesn't happen. I like a happy ending as much as the next guy, but sometimes it's better to portray things in a more realistic manner, and I thought Brokedown Palace did this very well.

The ending, with one friend basically sacrificing herself for the other, thus redeeming her earlier poor behavior which got them into the situation in the first place, was very moving. I almost rather would have done without the last line, which proved that she didn't actually do the deed she confessed to, because that would have made the movie more about the friendship between the two girls, and less about the crime. Whether she did it or not wasn't that important.

The story itself bordered on the cliché, but the actresses kept my attention with their excellent performances. Very realistic, very captivating.

7 out of 10.

Cold, hard truth

[Varlaam · 17 August 1999]

I'm a little surprised by the negative criticism this film is attracting.

I'm old enough to be the father of the two main characters; they seemed like accurately drawn teenage girls to me. And I've probably hung out with both of their fathers before. I've been to the Far East. I've stayed in both better and worse places than the girls stayed. I had the pleasure of seeing the inside of a police station after I was robbed. I'm glad I had no more direct exposure to the local judicial system than that; that was more than enough. Everything in this movie seems awfully familiar to me.

I think "Brokedown Palace" represents something pretty close to stark realism. It certainly reminded me of Asia.

Of course it's true that the attitudes of the girls often don't do much to improve their situation. But they are meant to be an example of what not to do overseas. And the portrayal of some of the Thais did make me uncomfortable. But then many of my own personal travel anecdotes don't paint a complimentary picture either.

This is a cautionary tale. An unfortunate consequence of too many people having too much money to spend these days is that you will find unescorted, unprepared, "streetwise", naive young people popping up in places where they have no business being. And when that happens, you end up with situations mirroring this movie.

I suspect people choose to denigrate this one because they are too embarrassed to accept how true it is, and how vulnerable they would be if placed in similar circumstances.

Often moving, but with some significant problems

[Beta_Gallinger · 6/10 · 19 December 2007]

I was shown this movie in my high school civics class, which was a few years ago (I have since graduated from high school), and didn't get much out of it around the beginning, but for the most part, it had me in suspense. It had been over 4 ½ years since that unforgettable experience when I very recently rented it and watched it a second time. I was once again intrigued by a lot of it, but this time, certain things bothered me.

Two young Americans, Alice Marano and Darlene Davis, are long-term best friends. After graduating from high school, they plan to go on vacation in Hawaii before going to college. However, when they are convinced by peers that Thailand is a better choice, they decide to go there instead, but without informing their parents! While in Thailand, they soon meet a young Australian man who introduces himself as Nick Parks. They become friends, and Nick convinces Alice and Darlene to fly to Hong Kong. As the two lifelong friends wait in line for their flight, they are in for a shock, as they are suddenly arrested! It turns out that heroin has been found in their luggage (which they both claim they did not put in there), and in this country, being found guilty of drug smuggling leads to very long prison sentences! Do they have any chance of getting out, or are they doomed to spend the next several decades in a Thailand prison?!

What are the problems with "Brokedown Palace"? Well, first of all, it starts out rather dull. For the most part, prior to the arrest, I did not see too many merits in the film. I did feel tension at times during this part of the film, but that was just because I knew what was going to happen. I also found Claire Danes' narration (as Alice) to be rather poor, and I have noticed quite a bit of praise for the acting (not a lot of criticism), but I myself was not too impressed with it (at least not from the two lead actresses, Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale), so I'm a bit confused. Maybe I'm thinking too much of the script (which I'm not surprised to find a lot of criticism for), and/or I just don't like the two main characters, who don't seem too bright. I must confess, I am not an expert on Thailand, so I don't know how accurately "Brokedown Palace" depicts the country, and if I were to go there at some point, it could negatively change my view on this film.

Since I was impressed with quite a few parts of this drama, I can't give it any less than a 6/10. The film could also remind people in first world countries of the harsh penalties for crimes in countries like Thailand, so I guess I'll give it credit for that as well. However, 6 is not THAT high a rating, and because of all the problems I found in the film, it wouldn't feel right to give it a rating any higher than that. In my opinion, "Brokedown Palace" is not that bad (though those who are more enlightened on the subject matter of the film may disagree), but if it wasn't for certain significant problems, I think it would have had a lot more potential.

Could've been a lot better but undeniably enjoyable

[Chance_Boudreaux19 · 7/10 · 19 November 2022]

I found myself very surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. I put it on thinking it's going to be very forgettable but I ended up being engaged in the story for the whole runtime. The movie has a very late 90s/early 2000s feel to it that makes it kind of cheesy and the musical choices make it feel like a music video that would play on MTV at the time but the story makes up for this. I was genuinely intrigued at what will happen to the two main protagonists and that's probably due to a strong screenplay. The twists and turns delivered and I think that majority of the topics the movie covers are true to life in terms of how drug trafficking in Thailand operates and how easily naive people can be framed by a charming stranger.

The main aspect that brings this movie down is the direction. Jonathan Kaplan was a capable director and this movie seems outside his style. I find his choices to be very weird, like the aforementioned MTV inspired style. Now, I don't know if that's his fault as it was probably what the studio mandated but I expect this movie to have a more gritty feel to it. On top of that, the performances vary a lot. Bill Pullman is great as usual but the two main leads aren't. I've seen much better performances from both of them. Claire Danes was ok for the most part and showed some range with a few bad moments but Kate Beckinsale was pretty bad. However, they can be excused due to not having much experience at the time and maybe the director not giving them enough feedback and instructions. All the flaws add up and yet like I said previously I enjoyed watching this, and so I can't judge it unfavorably as I rate movies based on ejoyment. It could've been a better film but what we got is intriguing enough for me to reommend despite all the flaws that it possesses.

Emotional, dramatic film

[duce122 · 7/10 · 26 October 2002]

Brokedown Palace (1999) D: Jonathan Kaplan. Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Pullman, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jacqueline Kim, John Doe, Daniel Lapaine. Emotional, dramatic film about two girls vacationing in Thailand who get falsely arrested for narcotics, then get represented by a rather eccentric, obsessive attorney. Well-acted and well-paced, however the overload of soundtrack songs makes it seem like you're watching MTV. RATING: 7 out of 10. Rated PG-13 for violence, drug use, and strong language.

Good story with a few flaws

[FlickJunkie-2 · 7/10 · 21 February 2000]

Two adventurous teenagers, best friends, take a trip to Thailand for one last experience before separating and going off to college. It seems like a fun time of touring an exotic land, until they meet an attractive stranger who seduces them into taking a trip to Hong Kong and puts drugs in their luggage. They get nabbed by the local police and find that justice in Asia is very different from justice in the U.S.

This is the main story line for "Brokedown Palace" and it was a good one. The film does a decent job of portraying the arbitrary and corrupt justice systems of third world nations. Actually, the portrayal was rather mild, as the prison conditions are often far worse than depicted. It serves as a reminder that no matter how bad we think our justice system is, it is pristine by comparison to much of the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, there were too many contrived situations in the film that hampered the story. The whole escape attempt was bogus fantasy. To think that friends would be able to smuggle money for a bribe into the prison in a padded bra, and not be discovered by the guards who were systematically checking everything brought in from visitors, assumes that either the guards or the viewers are utter blockheads.

The story also fails to bring closure to the nagging question of how the drugs got in Alice's (Claire Danes) backpack. Did she actually agree to transport the drugs? We are left to guess. It was intriguing to be kept guessing about the girls' innocence throughout the film, but we finish the movie never really knowing if one or both of the girls might be guilty. Except for this considerable flaw, the ending was excellent and the results unexpected.

The acting by Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale was very solid and well done. Danes, who has been oversold and over hyped, actually arrived as an actor in this film. Though her portrayal was frequently immature (as was her character), she improved as the film progressed and the circumstances became more dire. Beckinsale, in contrast has been flying under the radar her whole brief career and shines as the goody-two-shoes who suddenly finds herself in prison. Her's was the best performance in the film.

Bill Pullman was miscast as the lawyer. His wry and diffident style is an asset in films like "While You Were Sleeping", but as a lawyer in a third world country on a crusade to free two innocent girls from injustice, he had the wrong personality.

The tourist's look at Thailand was interesting, but it didn't make me want to go there.

Overall, an entertaining film made implausible in parts by the insertion of some ridiculous scenes. I gave it a 7/10.

Worth my cash.

[TheBabblingFool · 8/10 · 5 June 2004]

I saw this film at a store in the cheap section. I actually vividly remembered seeing the commercials and trailer for it years ago. I thought "What the hey' and bought it, basically because the plot sounded interesting and Claire Danes has always been someone of talent in my eyes (this was also before I became a huge Kate Beckinsale fan).

So it's about two girls who sneak off to a vacation in Bangkok, get busted for narcotics (which they are innocent of) and then are sent to a Thailand prison. The film follows what will happen to them and at times questions their innocence.

Both Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale give great performances, and the plot of this film wraps itself up unconventionally, and raises some nice moral discussion questions.

I think this is a solid good film, but there could have been some improvements. It could have been longer...it would've helped to solidify these characters and more insight into the politics of Thailand's justice system would've helped.

Nevertheless, other than that, it's a good film with some great performances.

P.S. For all you pop-culture junkies be on the lookout for a two-minute role by Paul Walker. I didn't even notice him the first time I saw the film.

A Frightening and well acted movie.

[triple8 · 7/10 · 19 December 2004]

While I do not think this was a perfect 10, I do agree it was way above a 6 which is what it's rated here. No, Brokedown Palace was not perfect and yes it's plot has been done many times before. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be done again if it is done well and I think this movie had some strong moments. The acting of Claire Danes, as already mentioned many times, was flawless as was Kate Beckinsell and I Think Bill Pullman was absolutely terrific as was the supporting performances(Pullman's wife, the crooked cop, skip or trip or whatever his name is). The cinematography was also beautifully filmed, there was a lot that's good to this movie even if there were some negatives(three major ones that I found) as well.

Here is what I didn't like about it-the friendship between the girls-In fact, the girls' own individual personalities-were not developed in depth until the late middle of the pic. It would not have been improbable to lose interest before then, because, despite the positives, more character development should have been done earlier on and certain scenes like when the girls were originally arrested, were almost glossed over so there was a bit to much Jumping around without the character and scene development I think would have been appropriate for this type of film. That, however, is not my major problem. And WARNING-SPOILER ALERT.

The ending as mentioned dozens of times already, was AWFUL. It was awful in two respects. Firstly, even though it would have been predictable and very Hollywood, I wanted a happy ending! Yes, it was an emotional and powerful ending but in a movie such as this, there is a Sense that justice will be served and I did sit through it to see that. I was Genuinely shocked at the ending and It was performed with excellence by all involved but I feel both girls should have got out or, barring that, at least the cop should have got what was coming to him. I mean nothing happens To the bad guys, they all get away with it. Very disturbing.

Also, I do not understand the ambiguity of the ending. I understand endings that are inspired to make one think, but this was not a mystery or "Clue" type movie we were watching, and I would have liked to know something about what actually happened,who was guilty etc, with this ending we were left to decide that ourselves but since I somehow doubt there will be a sequel, I did not want to be kept guessing.

Still, there was a lot to like about this movie, and the acting is definitely at the top of the list,I would rate this a 7.5 and say it is definitely worth a look.

Disappointing

[jimbo-93 · 3/10 · 24 February 2000]

Have you ever wondered what would happen if a couple of characters from Beverly Hills 90210 were thrown into a Thai jail?If so, this is your movie. This is Midnight Express for the MTV crowd. That would be ok, but the story was poorly executed. Contrived plot twists, poor dialogue and unresolved issues abound. This slight film did not earn the right to be as cryptic as it ends up being. Potential spoiler and impossibly preposterous plot line-the faux tension filled moment when the hotel employee discovers the girls do not have a room there and is about to kick them out. (This moment is innappropriately played with the same solemnity and gravity as the moment when they are arrested at gunpoint). Later the same hotel employee is somehow found-and Bangkok is a big city, mind you, Ive been there- and testifies against the girls, as if a couple of free Mai Tais warrant 40 years in prison. C'mon. Rent Another Day in Paradise instead.

Claire Is Great

[Darkest_Rose · 8/10 · 5 March 2003]

Alice(Claire Danes) and Darlene(Kate Beckinsale) have been best friends since forever and after they graduate they decide to take a trip to Thailand. Due to a incident, they meet a young attractive mysterious stranger who invites them to go with him Hong Kong for the weekend. But at the airport, Alice and Darlene are mistaken for drug smuggling heroine and they are sent to prison. Now it's time for ultimate survival and true friendship. This was a pretty good movie, i've seen it a couple of times and after a while you notice that they are a few holes in the plot but the movie still keeps you entertained. Claire Danes did a great job as usual, she is a great actress. I would give Brokedown Palace 8/10

A simple story of friendship

[segacs · 7/10 · 5 February 2005]

Brokedown Palace is the story of two best friends, Alice and Darlene, who go on a spontaneous trip to Thailand and wind up in prison after being caught with planted drugs in their luggage. In this way, the movie had the potential to turn into a serious and moving film, such as "Return to Paradise", but instead, the movie chose to focus little on the girls' situation and more on their friendship.

Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale both turn in excellent performances, and the movie is much more about the interplay between them - the suspicion, the jealousy, the questioning and testing of their friendship and ultimately the sacrifices made in the name of friendship. This movie chooses not to delve too deeply into politics or even into the harshness of prison life (which is a bit glossed over), and focuses more on these friendship issues.

There were some plot holes here, and some parts that just didn't seem believable or realistic. We didn't feel the real fear or hopelessness of their situation as well as we might have. And we get very little feeling of life outside the prison walls, with Bill Pullman playing the supposedly sleazy lawyer who actually turns out to have a heart of gold. In short, this should, by all rights, have been a much darker movie than it was.

But overall, I enjoyed it. The acting was good, the soundtrack was perfect, and the storyline had enough twists and turns to stay interesting. Worth seeing.

Shallow Characters In A Shallow Film

[Theo Robertson · 5/10 · 8 October 2005]

!!!! MILD SPOILERS !!!!

One of the main criticisms from people who dislike BROKEDOWN PALACE is the character motivation . Since I dislike this movie I couldn't help but notice the shallow characterisation and perhaps the characterisation and my dislike of the movie are linked ?

A couple of young American women Alice and Darlene lie to their parents that they're off to Hawaii when in fact they're going to Thailand . it's never actually explained why they feel the need to lie since from what little we see of their family leads us to believe they get on well with their parents . It should also be pointed out that both Alice and Darlene are obviously old enough to look after themselves so why lie ? there's also another problem later on with the characters of Alice and Darlene later on where they sneak into a plush hotel and order drinks on someone else's tab . This sets up a chain of events that leads to the two girls being convicted of supplying heroin . Now I'm saying they deserved what they got but ask yourself this : If you were staying at an expensive hotel and someone was ordering expensive cocktails on your hotel bill what would your reaction be ? Would you be sympathetic ? Neither would I and the more you think about it the more you come to the conclusion that Alice and Darlene have brought their problems on their selves

This actually sums up the problem with BROKEDOWN PALACE , you never feel any great empathy let alone sympathy for Alice and Darlene . They come across as being fairly dumb . They never think of checking their bags before they go to the airport because if they had they might have noticed a couple of kilos of smack in their luggage . One of them happily signs a sheet of paper even though it's written in Thai and later on they bribe a guard so they can escape . Being completely dumb neither girl understands that escaping from prison and escaping from a country are two entirely different things , they're still wearing a prison uniform , have no false passports and no money so how are they going to get back to America ? Obviously America has a surplus of bimbos . If you think that's daft wait till you see Alice at the end

At the risk of sounding sexist I doubt if BROKEDOWN PALACE was made to be anything more than a chick flick involving prison with the theme being how far would you go to save your best friend and I doubt if it will appeal much outside of the market it was intended for

Can you trust your best friend and how far will you go for them

[RichardJ · 15 October 1999]

Although I go to the movies regularly, I didn't see a trailer for this film, and the few reviews I read beforehand suggested it would appeal mainly to women under 35. Being neither, I could have been excused for missing this film, which would have been a shame, because I enjoyed it. The acting from Danes, Beckinsdale and Pullman was excellent and a pleasant change from watching films where special effects try to substitute for quality acting. Brokedown Palace is one of the few films I've seen this year where I haven't been able to correctly predict the outcome half way through.

For me this was more than a repeat of the "tourist taken advantage of by nasty local/foreign low life" film. While it is clearly a cautionary tale of the risks of travelling abroad, it is also very much about trusting your friends and the extent you are willing to make sacrifices for them.

It is also a reminder that in any country, justice is dispensed by people with power, and the extent that truth features in the dispensing of justice is largely at their discretion. The film correctly portrays that crying "I'm an American citizen, I have rights" rarely sees an immediate release from jail and humble apology from the local police, nor does enlisting the help of the US embassy result in a company of marines landing at night to storm the jail and rescue you.

Brokedown Palace is one of the few films I have seen this year which I intend to see again.

It's About Friendship More Than Drug Smuggling

[sddavis63 · 6/10 · 6 August 2013]

My real quibble with this movie is that it seems - strangely enough - to portray conditions in a third world jail that are just a little too comfortable. At least that's my sense - having never been in a third world jail I can't honestly say what the conditions were like. Still, what was shown here was prison, sure, but it didn't look like the absolute hell hole I would have expected.

That aside, this is an interesting film from a number of angles. The first is the drug smuggling angle, and the depiction of how lost as a foreigner you can be when you find yourself at the mercy of a justice system that you don't understand and that seems stacked against you. Darlene and Alice (Kate Beckinsale and Claire Danes) are a couple of American girls, newly graduated form high school, who celebrate by taking the trip of a lifetime to Thailand. Unfortunately, they get unwittingly caught up in a drug smuggling scheme and get sent to prison, and it seems that hopes for their release are pretty much zero, unless a local American lawyer (Bill Pullman) can pull some rabbit out of his hat. The portrayal of the Thai justice system isn't complimentary to the Thais - and take note. Saying "I'm an American citizen. I have rights!" gets you nowhere. This was a decent portrayal of the system, and a look at drug smuggling and the tactics that very well could be used.

More interesting, though, is the study of the friendship between Alice and Darlene - a friendship that is tested by this. Lifelong friends, Alice has historically been the bad girl of the pair, with Darlene the good & respectable one. But it's Darlene who gets the pair into this mess by letting herself get swept off her feet by the smuggler, and in the end, the story turns into a powerful one of sacrifice as the girls' friendship is ultimately demonstrated by a noble and unselfish act on the part of Alice, who (bad girl past aside) was the one who WAS NOT responsible. In fact, the last 15 minutes of the movie are the most powerful scenes here.

Overall, I can't say that I found this to be the most exciting movie ever made - which is perhaps appropriate. Life in a third world jail probably isn't "exciting." But it is an interesting look at friendship and how far friends will go for each other. (6/10)

A Trip to Hell

[raulfaust · 7/10 · 11 November 2011]

To the first half of this I thought it was going to be a complete rip- off of "Red Corner", because they had such similar plot and story. Two young girls go to Thailand and end up being arrested for something they didn't do, just like in the film I mentioned-- OK, that was in China, a different country, but it's no big difference. Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale deliver a good job in showing their acting skills, I never heard about them before but I'm glad I'm aware of their work now. They are very believable in this flick, making you feel very sorry for them throughout the whole thing. I just felt it was poorly written when the girls were worried because they tried to scape from prison, which would add 15 years to their sentence-- what does it matter when you're already sentenced to life imprisonment? Soundtrack is touching and fits well in the scenes they are used, these great songs made this rating earn 1 or 2 points. Summarizing, the film is averagely good and the ending will make you feel very sad and moved for these girls...

Good Movie

[GODSGIFT · 7/10 · 14 August 1999]

This movie was really a good movie and the ending was very touching and made you feel sad for Claire Danes but one problem with it was it was unrealistic. Another thing was many things in the movie were left unexplained (when did the Australian guy have time to put the drugs in the carry on and what really happened when he was with Claire Danes). Even with these problems I managed to enjoy the movie as the acting by the lead actresses was very good and they made you feel for them.

Unpredictable

[pri_e · 7/10 · 23 April 2000]

I honestly thought this would be like "Bangkok Hilton" starring Nicole Kidman and Denholm Elliot, but I must say this movie was unpredictable. I thought Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale and Bill Pullman's acting was excellent, it was so sad to see the torment that they were going through. It also showed the true act of friendship, Daniel Laphaine should have had more of a role in it but then again it wasn't meant to be focused on him. However I really enjoyed this movie, it should have been advertised more.

Great Movie...powerful message...incredible story!

[exa56 · 10/10 · 11 April 2007]

I saw this movie by luck, just because I was going through a phase where I had a new found admiration for Bill Pullman and wanted to see all of his recent movies and thank God I did! This Movie has stuck with me ever since and remain one of my favorites! The story revolves around two girls who embark on a dramatic journey in a foreign country where they'll learn the true meaning of freedom.

Alice and Darlene were just trying to spend a vacation together before going to college but their trip ended up a much more complicated story. The struggle they go through as they are arrested in Thailand and became prisoners is very moving and intense. The acting is amazing, the images extraordinary, the soundtrack is fantastic and so right for the movie and the message transmitted definitely powerful. I actually can't even find the right words to describe how this movie makes me feel every time I watch it. I know some people haven't appreciated as much as me by the rating the movie has but I swear, this one, you have to see!!! I promise it will stick with you!

A touching film...

[GillianS · 7/10 · 16 April 2000]

...but not nearly as good as its predecessor, "Return to Paradise." The performances of Beckinsale and Danes were sufficient at worst, good, at best, but simply not mature enough to measure up to the "trapped in a third world country on drug smuggling charges presenting a moral dilemma and testing true friendship" standards set by Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix in the 1998 film. If you're just dying to see the inside of a third world prison and have your heart strings pulled by drug smugglers, definitely rent "Return to Paradise," but skip this one.

Like a cockroach in the ear, annoying and unnecessary

[Bengoshi · 3/10 · 11 August 1999]

Brokedown Palace reminds me a lot of Midnight Express, except Midnight Express was a good movie. Claire Daines (Romeo + Juliet) stars as the girl who is always getting her best friend played by Kate Beckinsale (Last Days of Disco) in trouble. The script really hits the fan when she convinces her friend to take a trip to Thailand rather than Hawaii after high school graduation.

Every time I go to Southeast Asia there is a highly publicized story about two foreign girls caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country. The story is always the same, some really cool guy asked them to take a bag for him and they had no idea what was in it until the cops hauled them away. So I had a mild premonition as to the plot of this movie, when a dashing young Aussie saved the girls from embarrassment after they tried to get free drinks at a posh hotel by giving a phony room number.

The bulk of the movie focuses on the trials and tribulations of two heroines who claim that they did not know they were smuggling between four and six kilos of heroin (depending on which scene you are watching) in a backpack, and the strain that is placed on their friendship by a little thing like a 33 year prison sentence.

The movie has its moments, but ultimately fails because every time it starts to get believable or good something is thrown in that just makes the whole thing seem silly. The plot has so many holes you could drive a mule train through it. There are only three things worth seeing in this movie: 1. A good shot of the Golden Palace (very impressive), 2. Beckinsale tasting a surprisingly spicy Thai dish, and 3. Beckinsale in an half-shirt.

Wait for HBO.

A film about the power of friendship.

[baumer · 8/10 · 18 August 1999]

We all have friends. Some of us have more than others but there really are only one or two people that you feel really close with, people that you can say are like your brother or sister. Alice ( Danes )and Darlene ( Beckinsale ) are like that. You can see that from the beginning. They graduated together, they go to parties together and they decide to go to Bangkok together when they were supposed to be going to Hawaii. They also get busted for attempting to smuggle drugs into a third world country and that spells disaster. The rest of the film is about survival and not giving up hope. It also has a strong message about the power of friendship and what it can mean to someone.

Brokedown Palace is a very good film, it is not excellent and that is due to a few issues that I want to talk about. But first I want to say what is good about the film. And for starters the acting is top notch, and you can look no further than the two leads. Danes and Beckinsale are perfect in the roles that they have. Alice is always fiery and seems a little rough around the edges, but she seems more fun than Darlene. But sometimes that fun can get her into trouble. Darlene is always a little on the conservative side and although that can get irritating sometimes, it would have served the two girls better if her way was adhered to instead of Alice's. Bill Pullman is adequate as the American lawyer living in Thailand. The film is photographed very well also. The inside of the prison while not the same as Shawshank or Natural Born Killers or Return To Paradice, but it does show the necessary ( but underdone) hopelessness of the situation that they are in. Johnathin Kaplan's direction is quite good as well. We see the two girls struggling to make it through each day but you can see their spirit is being put out a little more each day. Brokedown Palace is excellent when it talks about friendship and it shows how they have to rely on each other to survive. The other thing that I had to comment on is the soundtrack for the film. It heightens and compliments the mood of the film to perfection. The song that you hear in the trailer is also played in the film and when it plays you feel the plight of the women in this prison. You can feel how alone they must feel and how desperate they are to get out and get back to the simple things in life. And it also makes you look at yourself and realize how lucky we are to live in the society that we do. We have it easy compared to some country's and believe it or not the music is a perfect catalyst for reflection on this subject. Some of the music is done by a group called Delirium ( I think ) but it is Sara McLaughlin( wrong spelling, but how do you spell her last name? ) that does the lyrics and her voice is beautiful and haunting and it adds so much to the film.

What I didn't enjoy about the film was some of the stupidity that the girls exhibit. I won't say what it is that they do but when you see it for yourself you'll know what I am talking about. Also I didn't really feel that the prison they were in was all that bad. It looked more like a minimum security prison and that may be because when there are similar circumstances in other films that invlove men doing time in a foreign country, the prison scenes are always brutal and sadistic. But I didn't get that here.

Overall this is a great film and it really does make you ask the question, " How far would you go for a friend? " That is a tough question and maybe one that none of us could honestly answer until put into the same situation. Let's just hope that it never comes down to that.

And yet another amazing performance from Claire...

[alannak · 7/10 · 17 August 1999]

I waited in anticipation for this movie to come out, and never once thinking it would be nominated for a Academy Award, and I still don't.

But just to watch Claire Danes, a brilliant and exceptionally talented actress, was enough for me. Ya, we all know that the storyline was used before. SO WHAT??? Get over it, movies are remade all the time, with the same storylines. So, I think people should look past this aspect. I was never bored, and yes, I enjoyed the soundtrack! I could ramble on and on about the plot, but I just want to comment on how I DO think this is a truly great film, and if you don't want to see it-DON'T. You already know the storyline, but you could not even imagine Claire-her best performance to date-even though I always thought it would be impossible to get any better than her one before.

Oh Give Me A Break!

[Lramrz24 · 2/10 · 20 April 2000]

This movie is so UNREALISTIC that it becomes completely unenjoyable! While it starts out alright, a couple of cute girls tromping around the world half dressed always are, at some point you suddenly wonder.. HOW did this happen? I mean for one thing, why would two 18 yr old girls want to visit Taiwan for crying out loud??? It only gets worse once they go to prison for trying to smuggle drugs into Hong Kong. The girls are trapped, unfairly mind you, in a foreign prison where they are being maltreated and forced to sign things they don't understand, yet their parents are at home comfy as can be watching tv and continuing their precious suburban lives as if nothing is wrong. Even when the girls get a chance to call home the parents only seem mildly interested. Ummmm hello... your daughter is trapped in a foreign country???!! Parents don't give a darn, but apparently we're supposed to believe Bill Pullman does. And I'm sorry, (ps, dont' read any further if you don't want to know the ending) but no matter how good a friend you are, NOBODY would voluntarily give up 96 years of their life in a Tai prison so their friend could go free!! Give me a break indeed. And that last line??? Claire Danes throws out some babbling garbage about having hope to reduce her 96 year sentence like we're supposed to feel some Shawshank Redemption moving emotional moment here. UGH. The only emotion I felt was happiness that the film was finally OVER. Please people, there are a lot better ways to waste your time.