Broken English

You are out of control — both of you.

– Nina (Aleksandra Vujcic) to her father and brother

Stay away from her.

– Ivan (Rade Serbedzija) to Eddie (Julian Arahanga)

...an impassioned, offbeat film from New Zealand ... (Director Gregor) Nicholas ably conveys the full range of confusion created by New Zealand's large and varied influx of immigrants. Broken English, which takes its title from the dilution of that country's dominant Anglo-derived culture, also involves a Chinese couple who pay Nina to enter into an arranged, in-name-only marriage so that the child they hope to have some day will be ''a small kiwi.'' Contrasting with the tensions among various ethnic groups are the visceral passion uniting Nina and Eddie and this heroine's utter, headstrong sense of freedom.

– Janet Maslin in The New York Times, 2 May 1997

Here is a film that deals with racism, war, ethnicity and and the clash of cultures, and yet is funny, smart, sexy and very entertaining ...Vujcic is a sexy, superb new actress. As for Rade Serbedzija, his performance as the Dad is a powerful mix of King Lear and King Kong. See it now.

– Sunday Times (London) review

(Director Gregor Nicholas') great talent is boiling huge issues down to their human elements. His use of metaphor is subtle and powerful, infusing symbols of life, love and community with deep emotional resonance ... The writing and acting (especially Aleksandra Vujcic and Julian Arahanga in the leads) are top-notch and Nicholas manages to craft a political-cultural cautionary tale that's full of meaning while skirting preachiness.

– Ernest Hardy in a 1997 LA Weekly review