Brokedown Palace

Starring:Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Pullman, Jacqueline Kim, Lou Diamond Phillips, Daniel Lapaine, Tom Amandes, Aimee Graham, John Doe, Kay Tong Lim, Beulah Quo, Henry O, Bahni Turpin, Amanda De Cadenet, Intira Jaroenpura, Lilia Cuntapay, Somsuda Chotikasupa, Maya Elise Goodwin, Chad Todhunter, Lori Lethin
Director: Jonathan Kaplan
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Alice (Claire Danes) and Darlene (Kate Beckinsale) are best friends on their post-high-school whirlwind vacation. Telling their parents they're off for Hawaii, they head instead to Thailand, where they stay at a $6-a-night dive and sneak drinks at a posh hotel. They both fall sway to the charms of a handsome Australian (Daniel Lapaine), who invites them to Hong Kong. Off they go, although unbeknownst to them (or is it? this question is never fully answered), one of them has heroin in her backpack. Sentenced to 33 years in a Thai jail, they find their friendship begins to deteriorate as their trust in each other fades. They enlist the help of Yankee Hank (Bill Pullman), a greedy but knowledgeable American lawyer living in Asia.

Amazon.com

Alice (Claire Danes) and Darlene (Kate Beckinsale) are best friends on their post-high-school whirlwind vacation. Telling their parents they're off for Hawaii, they head instead to Thailand, where they stay at a $6-a-night dive and sneak drinks at a posh hotel. They both fall sway to the charms of a handsome Australian (Daniel Lapaine), who invites them to Hong Kong. Off they go, although unbeknownst to them (or is it? this question is never fully answered), one of them has heroin in her backpack. Sentenced to 33 years in a Thai jail, they find their friendship begins to deteriorate as their trust in each other fades. They enlist the help of Yankee Hank (Bill Pullman), a greedy but knowledgeable American lawyer living in Asia.

Description

In this riveting thriller, Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale star as two best friends whose dream vacation becomes a nightmare. Alice (Danes) is impulsive and reckless; Darlene (Beckinsale) is more reserved. But when each falls for the same mysterious man, both girls throw caution to the wind, and in one instant, their lives are changed forever. Now in a foreign land, they must prove their innocence before it's too late. Bill Pullman co-stars in this "compelling" (People Magazine) tale of self-discovery and the ultimate sacrifice for a friend!

Customer Reviews:

A touching movie that will remain in your mind for a long time.......2006-10-28

I never thought that I could be moved by a film as much as I have by 'Brokedown Palace'. Not only was I very surprised by how touching the movie was, but by the storyline in general. With hopes of a happy ending, I was so shocked by the actual outcome. The sacrifice that Claire Danes character made was beautiful and I did not see it coming. Kate Beckinsale portrayed the 'good girl' image as best as anyone would and the friendship between the two is so realistic and so strong.

I love so many films and have watched nearly everything imaginable but I can say, without a doubt that 'Brokedown Palace' for me, is a film right at the top of the list. There may be more moving movies or one's with so much more intensity but this movie has something so unique that it surpasses them. I really don't know what makes it stand out so much for me, but it had an impact on me that I really didn't expect.

Kate Beckinsale did a fantastic job but it was Claire Danes character that created my love for the film. Why the critics didn't give the movie better ratings, is beyond me. But since when did they know what's what?

If you want to watch a movie that has such a fascinating moral behind it and a cast that create something so realistic and if you want to experience an ending so heart wrenching, then this is the movie that will do that for you.

Watch it, I really doubt that you will be disappointed.

Wow . . ........2006-07-03

This movie is kind of crazy . . . I mean, it's incedibly well done and really makes you think, but man! It's so intense! I cried so many times during the movie that I thought it might depress me for the rest of the week. It didn't though. It's really, really beautiful . . . Sad, yes . . . but beautiful. I would have preferred the language to be a little less crude at times, but other than that I'd tell anyone to watch it, at least once. It really, really makes you think.

Mild "Midnight Express" for girls.......2006-06-21

I loved this film! I dont really know what people were expecting from this movie but I think it was nicely done. Brokedown palce is about two best friends who travel to thailand for "adventures" after graduating from highschool, only to find themselves in trouble with the thai government when they are thrown in prison for drug smuggling.

Both Danes and Beckinsale deliver great performances in their roles and bill pullman compliments the movie as their attorney.
The film is short with little character background information , but their performances make you feel the conncetion they are suppose to have.

The soundtrack compliments this movie so well, with songs like "deliver me " by sarah brightman and "damaged". The location (filmed in the philippines) also enhances the viewing pleasure as it looks authentic as a alternative to Bangok.

This is really a film for women, as I do not think most men can appreciate the strong bonds women share with their best friends and the turmoil and sacrifices one will go through for or with her friend. The movie is also touching because of the realism, this story is all too familiar to the countless tourists who are still serving sentences in thai prisons for crimes they did not commit. The ending was very refreshing and I will not give it away, however, it is rare when films geared toward a specific audince ( like women, mainly young women) does not provide you with the typical ending for this audience....it is not "happily ever after" .

A LESSON TO REMEMBER..........2006-05-28

This is the story of two girls, Alice Marano (Claire Danes) and Darlene Davis (Kate Beckinsale), who are best friends. Alice is from a blue collar background, while Darlene's family is white collar. They have just graduated from high school and are supposed to be going on a trip to Hawaii to celebrate, except that Alice convinces Darlene that they should, instead, go a more exotic locattion. So, while telling their parents they are off to Hawaii, they end up going to Thailand, where they flop in a six dollar a night fleabag hotel, replete with roaches the size of potatoes.

They hook up with a handsome, young Australian named Nick Parks (Daniel Lapaine), who engages their confidence and with whom they briefly end up hanging out. Alice and Darlene find themselves competing for his interest. He then invites them to accompany him for a weekend in Hong Kong and, ultimately, both agree. While at the airport to board their flight to Hong Kong, they suddenly discover themselves under arrest, as one of their backpacks is found to contain a large cache of drugs, much to their collective surprise.

The girls then begin a journey through the Tibetan criminal justice system, which appears to be a corrupt one and especially harsh on the drug trafficking of which they are accused. Alice, the more savvy one, declines to sign anything, while Darlene, the more naive of the two, signs a statement written in Thai that she believes to be a transcript of her own words, only later to find that she has signed a complete confession. Even after obtaining legal representation from an expatriate attorney named Yankee Hank Green (Bill Pullman), they still end up being sentenced to a very long prison term. This is where the movie really starts focusing on what it is really all about, their friendship.

Excellent performances are given by Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale, as well as Bill Pullman. While Claire Danes give her somewhat hard edged character a certain vulnerability, somehow the viewer knows that she could probably do the time to which she is sentenced while standing on her head. Kate Beckinsale imbues her her character with a fragility that lets the viewer know that if she stays in that Tibeetan prison for very long, she will be a goner.

While the ending comes as somewhat of a surprise, it is somehow fitting. Yet, at the same time it is puzzling, as it is almost as if there were an atonement involved, but the viewer is left guessing as for what. The film is a compelling one, but in the final analysis falls somewhat short of its mark, with questions unanswered and motives left open to speculation. Still, the film manages to entertain, notwithstanding these shortcomings.

Unforgettable.......2006-05-10

The acting, directing, editing and message of Brokedown Palace are superb and unforgettable. Character development, key to the theme of the film, starts from the very beginning. Suspenseful, heart-wrenching and deeply moving, this movie is near the top of my favorite movies of all time. You won't regret the experience.

Average customer rating:

A touching movie that will remain in your mind for a long time
Wow . . .
Mild "Midnight Express" for girls
A LESSON TO REMEMBER...
Unforgettable

Brokedown Palace
Starring: Claire Danes , Kate Beckinsale , Bill Pullman , Jacqueline Kim , and Lou Diamond Phillips
Director: Jonathan Kaplan
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EMGJ5O
Release Date: 2000-02-15