By: debbie lynn elias
LANGUAGE OF A BROKEN HEART. The title alone is enough to spark curiosity and instill a sense of camaraderie among movie goers everywhere. After all, who among us hasn’t experienced all the pain, suffering, angst and anguish of a broken heart. No one that I know. Enter Juddy Talt who not only puts pen to paper to address the subject in this quirky and charming little film, but stars as Nick, a hapless, hopeful romantic with a hopeless love life. Helmed by first time director Rocky Powell, and buttressed with outstanding performances from Kate French, and one of my all time faves, veteran character actress Julie White, LANGUAGE OF A BROKEN HEART resonates with love and laughter and proves once and for all that in order to heal, in order to love, you’ve gotta know how to hate (especially those heartbreaking exes).
Nick seems to have it all. The best selling author of fictional “Love Notes”, people consider him the guru of love. He lives in a posh apartment and has a hoity toity British girlfriend whom he beyond adores. His written words change lives, change loves, change hearts…at least for everyone but himself. Unfortunately for Nick, he has always been blinded by love. Starting in 5th grade when he fell hopelessly and madly in love, receiving his first kiss only to have his heart dashed to the wind when he intercepted a note in the classroom which was written by his girl to another guy, from that moment on, Nick was doomed. Doomed to keep giving his whole heart, giving all his love, time and energy (to the point of stalking) to the wrong girl, only to be struck down time after time. And now, once again, Nick’s heart is being crushed by the venerable Violet who “wants a time out”, a time out that means no contact with Nick at all.
To Nick’s publisher, Violet’s dumping (let’s face it – “time out” equals being dumped) is a godsend as when Nick is heartbroken and miserable, he writes, and writes bestsellers at that. On the other hand, when he’s blissful and happy and consumed with love, he’s worthless when it comes to work. His publisher thinks Nick should get out of town. Nick’s therapist, himself a man who has bended to every whim of a woman and is now going through another divorce, thinks partying every night and picking up women is the answer. And Nick, always hapless no matter what, doesn’t know what to do or which way to turn. He only wants Violet to love him.
Like most boys and girls generally do when heartbreak and sorrow happen, Nick heads home to Rockford, Illinois to mom. But is it mom’s comfort he seeks or just an escape? And as if Nick’s heartbreak isn’t enough to bear, he grabs the wrong luggage at the airport and must deal with luggage swapping mind games from the woman who inadvertently grabbed his bag – Emma. Quirky, talkative, free-spirited, non-manipulative and, as luck would have it, book loving, Emma is like no woman Nick has ever met. Calling on his lifelong best friend Cubby for support, Nick soon finds that maybe there is no such thing as pure love, perfect love. On learning that Cubby’s “perfect” marriage is falling apart, hearing revelations from his Mom about dating partners, having long talks with the chatty and pretty Emma, reliving his angst and agony from high school, and having Violet show up at the door, Nick learns an entirely new LANGUAGE OF A BROKEN HEART.
Juddy Talt is a fresh face on the horizon. Good-looking, easy-going and affable with a boyish quality to him, he has all the makings of a leading man a la Dermot Mulrooney or Dylan McDermott. Talt easily portrays the awkwardness, haplessness and sullen obsessiveness that embodies Nick through more than half the film and just as easily charms you when paired up with Kate French’s Emma. Talt’s one downfall though is that he drones on too long in a pathetic hapless state with no indication of breaking the funk. Briefer periods of misery would definitely help.
I have long admired Julie White. Her talents are as diverse and varied as her roles. Be it stage, tv or film, whenever she is involved, you are assured at least one indelible impeccable performance. As mother Mimi, she is a breath of fresh air. Open, free, and yet when push comes to shove, such a mom. One can’t help but love her. And her comedic subtlety is a perfect balance, along with Kate French, to elevate this film beyond the depressing state of Nick.
And let’s talk about Kate French. She lights up the screen with an energy and positivity that is welcome and warm. With her first appearance on screen, the entire film is uplifted. Her chemistry with Talt is undeniable and the minute she appears on screen, your heart roots for them to find love with each other. Whether they will or not is another question.
Lara Pulver is perfect as the antagonistic and annoying Violet. She makes Violet unlikeable to the point of being insufferable; so much so that you find yourself wanting to slap some sense into the character of Nick for even wanting the woman. Pulver is that compelling in the role. Disappointing is Oscar Nunez. Given his natural comedic talents, as therapist Adam Lebovitz, his performance falls as flat as the jokes he delivers.
Written by Talt and directed by Rocky Powell, the story is one we’ve seen and heard before, but thanks to voice over narrative and some adorable stick figure animation chapter titles by Janimation along with a terrific soundtrack, we get some added charm and quirkiness that helps with pacing and moving the story along. The situation is familiar and relatable. Characters are believable; and when it comes to Emma and Mimi, you cheer their candor, openness and elan, welcoming them into your own world. The film does, however, drag in multiple spots, due totally to the depressive state of Nick. We get it. Depressed. Hopeless. Hapless. Obsessed with Violet. But it gets to be too much. Several scenes need to be shortened to give a better flow and not lose the audience as it gets to a point that Nick garners no sympathy on screen or off.
Together, Rocky Powell and first time cinematographer Steve Corie show great promise. They have great visual conceptualization with the use of light, shadow and tonal aspects, which early in the film go far in really setting the stage for the depths of Nick’s personality and broken heart.
A real winner in LANGUAGE OF A BROKEN HEART is a great eclectic soundtrack that speaks directly to the story elements at the appropriate time. Particularly notable is the end credit song “40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)” by Bob Schneider.
Despite a few flaws, LANGUAGE OF A BROKEN HEART is a film that, like love itself, is filled with hope, promise and some sweet surprise.
Nick – Juddy Talt
Emma – Kate French
Mimi – Julie White
Directed by Rocky Powell. Written by Juddy Talt.
