Rating: 
Summary: A Snoozer
Review: I wasn't impressed with this movie. There were a lot of logistic and factual errors. Many details were simply not explained or fully developed so the viewer is left wondering how, what, where, why . . . Maybe too much film ended up on the cutting room floor? The film lacks emotion and drama, the two characters are more upset that they are both attracted to the same boy than at the prospect of spending the rest of their lives in a Thai jail (which is more like summer camp than a prison for hardened criminals). Danes is believable but Beckinsale's performance is lackluster.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Movie- A Must See & Own.
Review: I LOVED it! My Husband took me to see it on our 5th Wedding Annivarsary,It made the day Exstra Special. It is now one of our most watched movies together.
Rating: 
Summary: Brokedown slumber party
Review: This film was supposed to be titled "Two Girls" They changed it. I can think of several titles more appropriate then "Brokedown Palace." "Thailand 90210," how about "The real World....Bangkock." God I feel silly. I was actually afraid of this film. I had horrible images in my mind of poor Claire Danes and poor Kate Beckenshaw (whoever the hell she is), being tossed into some "Midnight Express" style hell hole, I hate movies like that, but not Claire Danes, oh please not that! I needn't have worried. It turns out that foreign prisons are not so much jails as crowded dorm rooms in junior college, this move could have taken place in any Catholic boarding school. I wanted to love it or hate it but, like many, many critics, just couldn't muster much concern one way or another. Sure the film is rife with silly errors Example: there is no mention of passports, these girls just fly off to Thailand either without them (they would not have gotten plain tickets) or they paid an exorbitant price for them (negating any money saving that would have enticed them to go in the first place). Certain jobs in Thailand are not held by foreigners, it is not allowed. One of those jobs is in the legal field, unless you are Bill Pullman, I guess there is a special exception for him, anyway. These errors are not so glaring as the whole concept of two wild party girls, the film opens with them drinking in a graveyard with there friends, rushing halfway around the world to pray at a temple, oh those crazy girls, "It's graduation.....lets go to the Buddhist temple as start praying'" Who could blame them. Then there is the whole smuggling thing. Do you believe that smugglers deliberately turn in there own "mules" so others can get by, do you think that the Thai airport authorities would not see that 8 girls heading to Hong Kong had the tickets purchased on the same stolen credit card? There is much to swallow hear, and precious little reason to. The big emotional scene in the film is when Darlene accused Alice of sleeping with Nick, I am not kidding, this is where she really cuts loose, not when she is arrested or is freed by Alice's whining in court. There is an unbearable scene in the end where Claire Danes literally throws herself on the mercy lf the Thai court...oh the humanity! And a plethora of silliness in the prison, after an attempted escape, she and her girlfriend are thrown in the quite room to pout, oh those evil Thai and there torture! The pouty room! Surly Amnesty International should be notified, and who dies there makeup in prison anyway? they do a good job. I wish I could just say this was, balls out, a terrible movie, but Claire is such a sweetie that I, like the prison officials, just can't stay mad at the poor girl. I hope, I really hope that our prisoners are being treated as nicely as they are in this movie, sadly that probably is not true. I will be visiting Thailand in March and will let anyone know how it went, will go see our prisoners there. I will not mention this film. "Lost Johnny"
Rating: 
Summary: Above Average for a Prison Movie
Review: The acting was pretty good, and some parts were even funny. I suggest that you rent this movie before you buy it because this is one of those films where it's hard to tell if someone will like it or not. I saw it in the movie theatre when it came out in August 1999, and of the two other people I saw it with, one hated it and one loved it. I thought it was nicely written and had its fair share of suspenseful parts. The ending is a bit surprising, but I won't ruin that for you.
Rating:
Summary: Brokedown Palace shines!
Review: As far as extras go for this DVD...dont bother looking for any hidden "easter eggs" for there arent any, but dont let that stop you from purchasing this movie. The colors are rich, hardly any bleeding, and the sound is superb..especially when the songs from the flawless soundtrack can be heard in the background. The subject matter of the movie has pretty much already been done in tinseltown (the innocent take the blame for drug smuggling)but this one stands out among the rest. Claire Danes (as usual) is phenomenal, definitely one of the top ranking actresses of this generation! If you haven't already done so you should see this movie. It's just another one of those smaller independent films with superb acting, great music (Sarah McLachlan's contribution "Silence" is SWEET!), and a story that holds your attention that is far better than ANY of the big budget blockbusters that Hollywood usually dishes out!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Subtext and Great Acting make this a Film
Review: This is a film, it seems, that people either love or hate. There is truth, perhaps, to both the criticism and the compliments that have been bandied about by this film. One thing that is clear to me is that looking more deeply into the film's subtext would probably change a lot of minds.
True, some of the auxiliary characters are cliche' and underdeveloped. But in fairness, that's why they are "auxiliary."
True, not all of the sets and camera work were Academy Award character. But once again, in fairness, the imagery of the film and the beautiful use of light and color makes some of those faults less apparent.
True, it is a horrible story about what "happened" to them. Yet once again echoing other reviewers, this story is not really about the horror of the prison experience in and of itself.
What holds this movie together is the acting of Danes and the complexity of her character. What did happen between her and Nick Barnes? We never really know. What we see is a conflicted person who wants desperately to be believed while everyone, including her own father, sees her as the "trouble-maker" and assumes her guilt.
The relationship she develops with Bill Pullman's character brings out this complexity. He is the only one to shower the kindness of presumed innocence on her, and perhaps that is what prompts her to take the fall for her friend.
The question is, do you really think she was taking the fall or did she know more than she says? Or was it Darlene playing the innocent victim? We are left to wonder and to replay the scenes of them on their way to the airport attempting to figure out who, if anybody, really was innocent in all of this.
Those who like interesting character studies will enjoy this performance. A great soundtrack and a pretty good movie make this sufficient eye-candy for the rest of us. I recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: underdeveloped characters, movie of the week cinematography
Review: I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching a movie of the week, or another Lifetime Channel trauma of the month movie when viewing this.
The auxilary characters seem to be cookie cutter representations of foreigners, and even the talented Bill Pullman is given little to work with.
Tight, squared off shots gave the entire film a TV movie feel, and neglecting to use even stock shots of Thailand (this was filmed in the Philipines) never really take you away--this could just as easily been a story taking place in the US.
The trite wrap up of the story, based on loyalty and friendship doesn't really work, because Danes and Beckinsale never quite seem to be more than coworkers before the movie moves to Thailand.
Rating:
Summary: Awsome Movie
Review: Excellent movie and very glad I saw it. The soundtrack is awsome and moving esspecially Sarah Brightman's single "Deliver Me" at the closing of the film.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I just saw this movie 3 days ago... and the next day i went out and bought it... i must say it's a beyond good movie... with a really good soundtrack.. this movie made me cry, and a movie hasnt done that to me in awhile... but what happend with Alice and Darlene in this movie was just so sad and so hard to deal with and they just graduated highschool when they went off on there "freedom" trip. This movie is worth checking out and buying it has everything a great movie needs..
Rating:
Summary: amazing talent
Review: Many negative reviews seem to be under the misapprehension that this movie is about something which it is not. Something that, if it were to incorporate those elements, would completely change the character of the film--turning it from a story about friendship, character, and life's little events to one about the horrors of the foreign prison.This film is not about prison or about life in prison. It is not about drug smuggling. Criticizing it on this is like saying that Pirates of the Caribbean is a horrible movie because it doesn't represent an accurate portrayal of shipboard life. It is a stunningly beautiful and well done (at points artistic) portrayal of the depths of friendship and the strength of human character ("if you are lying..."). The sets and acting are wonderful, the examination of the Thai legal system seemed fair (regardless of whether those are the actual conditions in prison, I am not qualified to judge nor do I care for the purposes of this film), and there were several underlying moral questions without clear answers. Which is another thing: this movie doesn't leave you with all of the answers. Nothing is left accidentally dangling, but there are several things left for you to chew on.
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