Brokedown Palace follows in the path of "Return to Paradise" as its main focus is 3rd world law and punishment. The movie stars Claire Danes (Alice) and a young Kate Beckinsale (Darleen) who you probably are more familiar with, but...
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Brokedown Palace follows in the path of "Return to Paradise" as its main focus is 3rd world law and punishment. The movie stars Claire Danes (Alice) and a young Kate Beckinsale (Darleen) who you probably are more familiar with, but Claire's performance definitely shines more. It starts off with the two young friends going on a vacation after graduation, they end up in Thailand. After a few nights and a little mischief that comes back to haunt them they meet Nick, an American who just wants to be friends. A few quick days later the two girls are found with Heroin on them and sentenced to 30 years each in a all girls Thai prison. I found this movie very entertaining as it shows the risk of traveling to 3rd world countries, but also fails to show the good sides too of countries like Thailand. While the girls are in prison they try many different ways of getting out, legally and illegally with no success. The strong friendship they once had was beginning to fade - which inst good when you only have each other - and will keep you wondering what will happen all the way until the end. The ending, like Return to paradise, is "Heavy" and very good. Personally I really liked this movie even if it is a chick flick.

Great movie that saw some good acting from these 2 young ladies (when the movie was made anyway).

The innocence seen on their faces and coming out their mouth is done really well.

The acting in this movie is exceptional. Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale, play their innocence like it was still written on their faces, as the story unfolds they manage to grow up significantly. You feel their passion, their pain. And my hope...
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The acting in this movie is exceptional. Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale, play their innocence like it was still written on their faces, as the story unfolds they manage to grow up significantly. You feel their passion, their pain. And my hope of all hopes was that they really were falsely accused and that one, or both of them, is not lying. Even Bill Pullman, whom has a stiff sort of stoic approach to acting, manages to pull off a slightly interesting take on his seemingly trivial character. There is sense of hope and ardor in him that wants to do the right thing. So much so that even though I knew it had to end in a fashion like it did, I wanted desperately for it to be fairy tale like.
The plot was excellent.
Some of the secondary acting was over done and some of the prison scenes were a bit useless and designed as time filler to get us to the end, but other than that it was a very good movie, highly recommended.
Side note: the band Plum has a song in this movie that I absolutely adore. Makes me weeping when I hear it and it was used very well (at the end).