World-premiering out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard’s Broken English [+leggi anche:
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That movie focused on the music and presence of Nick Cave, who reappears here as collaborator working with the main subject – or, better, protagonist. She is Marianne Faithfull, who is offered, and contributes to, a multi-layered portrait, enhanced and enlivened by some highly original framing concepts, recalling a bit of Terry Gilliam and Peter Greenaway, and overseen by none other than Tilda Swinton. Here, a special bureau, “The Ministry of Not Forgetting”, has just begun operations, its first assignment being Marianne Faithfull – low-hanging fruit, it could be argued, given this particular, not easily forgotten, performer.

A career spanning six decades, some 35 albums, some 40 acting roles, a well-publicised private life involving well-known lovers, drug abuse, a downfall and a phoenix-like resurrection… She can only be called a true cultural phenomenon of the 20th century, with solid output in the early 21st as well. Her 1960s were spent in the midst of the British Invasion, and her 1970s and 1980s (after a long hiatus and with a very different voice) brought her a whole new generation of fans and a period of superstardom, after which she gradually ventured into some quite exclusive and, at times, experimental endeavours, including interpretations of Kurt Weill and intimate creativity with the aforementioned Cave. In brief, you rarely get any hipper than Marianne Faithfull, whose birth name this really is – no stage moniker needed here.

While she regrettably passed away January this year, her participation in this film was thankfully completed and in the can prior to her death. In yet another embellished framing, she is being “documented” by the ministry’s “record keeper”, played by George MacKay, her de facto interviewer. Together, they go through her journey since early childhood, accompanied by footage, stills and news clippings. Faithfull’s reflections and reactions are the heart and soul of the film – keen, astute, disarming or disapproving when appropriate. Quite a bit of sexism is detected and accordingly addressed; there’s even a special panel discussion included on the subject, moderated by British media personality Edith Bowman with a league of contemporary female cultural representatives at the table. Other appearances are made by ex-husband John Dunbar (a warm and moving moment) and the underrated Barry Reynolds, who co-composed her most famous song, that of this film’s title. Mick Jagger, though, is a no-show.

A selection of interpretations is also heard and seen, by the likes of Beth Orton, Suki Waterhouse, Courtney Love and Jehnny Beth. While all are heartfelt and expertly executed, they do pale in comparison to the real thing, even when she is wearing an oxygen tube (she contracted COVID-19 in 2020, severely affecting her lungs), duetting with Nick Cave in her last-ever recorded performance. And that’s not to mention her take on "Pirate Jenny", accompanied only by piano and not even paling in comparison to the great Lotte Lenya herself.

Broken English was produced by the UK’s Rustic Canyon Pictures and Phantoscopic, with sales by Cinetic and Global Constellation.