Dorathen Better Late Then Never

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

triesen This movie is a waste of money and time. I spent $45 for a VHS copy on Amazon - yikes. With the exception of the talented actor Marton Csokas this flick has horrible acting, directing, editing, etc. In the beginning credits Marton is listed at #2 yet is hardly in it - too bad his talents were wasted. Being the main character's brother 'Darko's character could have been explored more in depth. This is an old story of girl meets boy each from a different 'world', cultures clash, dad has an unhealthy obsession with his daughter, mother is weak and afraid of her husband, husband is paranoid, racist and tyrannical. Everyone does not know the difference between love and lust - well so what else is new?

rmalcus-1 I really liked this film. It was a love story like West Side Story. It has probably been 7 or 8 years since I last saw this film. I think a film is especially meaningful when it is related to some real crisis or event. In the case it was the migration of Croatian refugees to New Zealand and their conflicts with the Maori which said a lot about the issues of race, class and ethnicity.But what has really stuck with me was the music. The recurring gypsy/tango musical interlude made the film for me. It is in my ears right now sort of like the theme for "Last Tango in Paris". I thought there was no published soundtrack made for this film. Please if you are aware of where to obtain a copy of this soundtrack, please let me know.

George Parker "Broken English" is about a Croatian woman who lives with her old world parents in New Zealand and falls in love with a Maori man which, of course, causes problems while she acts as though she had no clue that would happen. Duh. Though it manages a modicum of entertainment, this film seems to know where it wants to go but has to pound square characters through round holes to make the plot work. In the process there are too many tongue clucking moments where the film's credibility is breached such as when a modern Maori man fights and chants like an ancient Maori warrior or a woman swims with dolphins which, as we learn, they only do with pregnant women...yeah, right. The characters in "Broken English" are in serious need of some conflict resolution...something which no one seeks as it would destroy the contrived drama. "Once Were Warriors" this film is not. However, it is an okay watch for those into Kiwi flicks with time on their hands. (C+)

Sean Gallagher There have been a lot of great culture clash stories, and culture clash love stories, over the years, but this isn't one of them. Part of the problem is we have three cultures here (New Zealand, Bosnian, and Chinese), yet we really don't explore them in depth (except perhaps the Bosnians), so there seems no apparent reason why the New Zealand and Bosnians wouldn't get along except for plot purposes. And while the sex between the two main characters is well-handled, it seems to be the only thing the relationship is based on; we don't really see them get to know each other. The two main characters are appealing, and the two actors who were in ONCE WERE WARRIORS(here playing brothers instead of father and son) are both good, but it still falls short.