Film No. 35 (2014) May 15th. 6:30 PM THE WINDSOR Nedlands.
Grace of Monaco is either a very clever, tongue in cheek send up of a fairy tale within a fairy tale or a botched Americanisation of "How The Princess Saved Monaco". I'm hoping it's the latter because if the critics are anything to go by then director Oliver Dahan is taking some "heat".
Look, the film would have us believe that in 1962, the principality of Monaco was in danger of "falling" to the French. The Prince was helpless, with no army and just his wife and her celebrity influence by his side; a wife not comfortable as a princess. But then after careful rumination and subsequent tuition she "eats her spinach" and beats off the French with a speech at a Gala Dinner. Come on, who's going to believe that ?
Nicole Kidman, wandering eyebrow and all, hams up her role to perfection. Tim Roth plays Prince Rainier III as a helpless puppy dog made more helpless by the treachery mounted against him by his sister and brother in law. Dahan would have us believe Antoinette was a French spy. Derek Jacobi and Frank Langella play key characters in the Princess's life as her fairy godfathers; Langella as her mentor and Jacobi as her etiquette teacher.
Then there is the Hitchcockian film techniques layered throughout via music, close ups and a variety of dissolves. I ask you, why couldn't it be a fairy tale within a fairy tale? The film's only chance for redemption is that it becomes a cult classic .... never the less, I'm glad I saw it. 6GUMS
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