GRACE OF MONACO (2014)

Genre: Drama/Biography
Director: Olivier Dahan
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, Frank Langella, Paz Vega, Parker Posey, Milo Ventimiglia, Derek Jacobi, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Robert Lindsay, Geraldine Somerville
RunTime: 1 hr 43 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: GV
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 22 May 2014

Synopsis: The story of former Hollywood star Grace Kelly’s crisis of marriage and identity, during a political dispute between Monaco’s Prince Rainier III and France’s Charles De Gaulle, and a looming French invasion of Monaco in the early 1960s.

Movie Review:

Whoever gave the green light to open this year’s Cannes Film Festival with this troubled production must be wondering: What the hell was I thinking? To be fair, it all seemed like the cleverest thing to do, to open the world’s most prestigious film festival with a biopic about Grace Kelly. For those who don’t know already, the gorgeous actress headed the USdelegation at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955. It was there she met Prince Rainier IIIof Monaco. Eventually, the two got married in what the press called “The Wedding of the Century”, and it was the perfect fairy tale ending.

So to have this year’s Cannes Film Festival graced (pardon the pun here) by a film about the Academy Award winning actress’ life as a princess in Monaco, it seemed like the perfect connection, right? Unfortunately, the opposite happened. Critics slammed this Olivier Dahan directed film, calling it the worst film to ever open the festival. Let’s see, we have Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth and Frank Langella in the ensemble cast, all well respected in their own rights, so how wrong could things get?

The film begins by telling you the story is a fictionalised account, inspired by true events. This threw us off the tracks – so what are we supposed to make of Grace Kelly’s life as told by the filmmakers? The plot centres on the former Hollywoodstar’s crisis of marriage and identity during a political dispute between Monaco’s Prince Rainier IIIand France’s Charles De Gaulle. Taking place during the early 1960s, this was also a looming period when the French was looking at invading Mocano.

With a “fictionalised account” like that, it is no wonder the royal family released an official statement sayin that the film cannot be classified as a biopic. It didn’t help that Dahan ran into disagreements with the film’s USdistributor Harvey Weinstein over the final cut of the film. Without elaborating further, let’s just say the mention of the phrase “pile of s***” doesn’t bode well for the film.

Kidman’s portrayal of the respected Kelly is superficial – she dons beautiful costumes and jewellery, but the Oscar winning actress (The Hours) does not bring anything refreshing to the character who is supposedly a modern woman who wants to reconcile with her family by making certain sacrifices. Roth (The Incredible Hulk) does nothing much except looking moody and morose. Langella (Frost/Nixon) is the best thing about the 103 minute movie, channelling gravitas into his priest character. However, the veteran’s outstanding performance isn’t enough to save the film from being a shallow look at Grace Kelly’s struggles.

Dahan may have helmed the well reviewed La Vie En Rose (2007), but his take on the princess of Monacois a clumsy one, featuring an uninspiring script with predictable dialogue spouted in a wooden manner by its cast. The picturesque cinematography showing off breathtaking scenes shot in Monaco, Franceand Italycan’t make up for this, unfortunately. When Kidman delivers her final speech at a charity gala dinner, we could only think to ourselves: What would Grace Kelly think of this if she were still alive?

Movie Rating:

(Beautiful to look at, but everything else about this supposedly character study of Grace Kelly is clumsily put together)

Review by John Li