Brokedown Palace (1999) may have a problematic script (you can practically count the plot holes) but it’s elevated considerably by three terrific performances from Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, and Bill Pullman. Danes is especially compelling, bringing a poetic grit to her performance that feels fueled by a quiet but profound need for someone to believe in her, including, perhaps, herself. Beckinsale brings emotional complexity to their friendship, while Pullman adds just the right amount of ambiguity and tension. And then there’s that soundtrack. Fantastic. One of the best soundtracks ever. It perfectly captures the film’s restless, melancholy atmosphere. The movie walks a precarious line between thriller and melodrama, but interestingly, it’s the tension between those two modes that makes Brokedown Palace come alive. It may not always work on a narrative level, but emotionally and atmospherically, there’s something here that lingers. Wren Valentino
Reviews of classic films from all eras and all genres of cinema.