two adventurous teenager and best friend and take a trip to thailand for one last experience before separating and go off to college . it seem like a fun time of tour an exotic land and until they meet an attractive stranger who seduce them into take a trip to hong kong and put drug in their luggage . they get nab by the local police and find that justice in asia be very different from justice in the u. s. this be the main story line for brokedown palace and it be a good one . the film do a decent job of portray the arbitrary and corrupt justice system of third world nation . actually and the portrayal be rather mild and a the prison condition be often far bad than depict . it serve a a reminder that no matter how bad we think our justice system be and it be pristine by comparison to much of the rest of the world . unfortunately and there be too many contrived situation in the film that hamper the story . the whole escape attempt be bogus fantasy . to think that friend would be able to smuggle money for a bribe into the prison in a padded bra and and not be discover by the guard who be systematically check everything bring in from visitor and assume that either the guard or the viewer be utter blockhead . the story also fail to bring closure to the nagging question of how the drug get in alice ( claire dane ) backpack . do she actually agree to transport the drug . we be leave to guess . it be intrigue to be keep guess about the girl innocence throughout the film and but we finish the movie never really know if one or both of the girl might be guilty . except for this considerable flaw and the end be excellent and the result unexpected . the acting by claire dane and kate beckinsale be very solid and well do . dane and who have be oversold and over hyped and actually arrive a an actor in this film . though her portrayal be frequently immature ( a be her character ) and she improve a the film progress and the circumstance become more dire . beckinsale and in contrast have be fly under the radar her whole brief career and shine a the goody two shoe who suddenly find herself in prison . her be the best performance in the film . bill pullman be miscast a the lawyer . his wry and diffident style be an asset in film like while you be sleep and but a a lawyer in a third world country on a crusade to free two innocent girl from injustice and he have the wrong personality . the tourist look at thailand be interesting and but it do not make me want to go there . overall and an entertaining film make implausible in part by the insertion of some ridiculous scene . i give it a positive .