A blisteringly honest and profoundly moving new documentary lays bare the extraordinary life of one of Britain's most enduring cultural figures. 'Broken English' offers a triumphant, yet unflinchingly raw, portrait of the legendary Marianne Faithfull.
The film masterfully charts her journey from a convent schoolgirl to a 1960s icon, famously linked to The Rolling Stones, and her subsequent plunge into notoriety and personal hell. It refuses to shy away from the darkest chapters: the drug addiction, the homelessness, and the brutal public scorn that followed the infamous 1967 police raid at Keith Richards’s Redlands estate.
A Phoenix From the Ashes
Where 'Broken English' truly excels is in its celebration of Faithfull’s breathtaking resilience. The documentary frames her not as a victim of her past, but as a phoenix who forged her greatest art from the ashes of her experiences.
It powerfully argues that her seminal 1979 album, also titled 'Broken English', was the defiant roar of a woman reclaiming her voice and her narrative. The film uses this album as a pivotal turning point, showcasing it as one of the most remarkable comebacks in music history.
An Intimate & Unfiltered Portrait
Through a treasure trove of archival footage and present-day interviews with Faithfull herself, the documentary achieves a remarkable intimacy. We see the wicked wit, the sharp intelligence, and the weary vulnerability of a woman who has seen everything.
Her reflections are piercingly self-aware, devoid of self-pity, and often darkly humorous. The film doesn’t seek to canonise her; instead, it presents a fully realised, complex human being—scarred, sophisticated, and utterly unforgettable.
For fans and newcomers alike, 'Broken English' is essential viewing. It is more than a biopic; it is a testament to the power of survival and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Faithfull’s story is one of chaos, pain, and ultimately, glorious redemption.
