Movie Review: Le Divorce

[tvordlj]

Le Divorce is supposed to be a "comedy of manners" or a culture clash between Americans and French. It's more like a comedy of confusion if you ask me and it's definitely a Chick Flick. I think i may have read the book some time ago because some of it seems familiar, especially the bickering over the split of property and the painting of St. Ursula. Anyway, in a nutshell, it's about an American girl, Isabel, who comes to Paris to help out her sister, Roxy, who's pregnant and who's husband has left her for a very strange Russian woman called Magda. There is supposed to be a transition in Isabel as she gets used to being in Paris and takes up scarf wearing like the French women do. She cuts her hair into a chic bob on the even of her expected seduction by Roxy's husband's uncle who gives her a very expensive red Hermes handbag which tips off her employer, played by Glenn Close to the affair. Seems she too had an affair with the same man years ago and red handbags are his traditional gift to his mistresses. And there's a deranged Matthew Modine running around stalking Isabel and Roxy. He's Magda's husband and what he expects to gain from acting threatening towards his wife's lover's sister-in-law is beyond me.

Roxy's husband seems to be due a 50 % share of the marital assetts. They each get half of each other's property according to French Law but it was also stated that they signed a pre-nup. If they did, the terms were not expressed and seemed to be thrown out the window for the French divorce laws. The big thing at stake here is a painting that may be by a renaissance artist which would make it hugely valuable or may just be by one of his students making it far less appealing. But the painting belonged to Roxy and Isabel's family and if they have proof of ownership, why on earth is it being appraised for sale to be divided in the settlement? More confusion.

At one point the American parents of the sisters arrive and things get even more confusing. The parents seem fairly likeable but the brother is a money obsessed arrogant so and so. There's also the French matriarch that everyone bows to in defference to her excessive snobbery and "class".

Are you confused yet? I know i was. I found that there were far too many characters, many more than i've mentioned, and too many sub plots and though it really had the potential to be a very smart movie, it just couldn't seem to get out of its own way. Though the movie wasn't really awful, I think the book was better. I did enjoy the location shoots in the streets of Paris and me being a traveler, now i really want to go there again! (not been since 1977). Kate Hudson plays Isabel and she does well enough. It's funny though. Her big role was free spirited Penny Lane in Almost Famous and in this movie, her acting style was so similar it almost seemed as if Isabel was Penny Lane 10 years later! Naomi Watts plays Roxy and i did like the way she portrayed a wife who was hurt and frustrated by the betrayal of her husband and the typical divorce manipulations most people go through. Leslie Caron played Roxy's mother-in-law perfectly i have to say and the actor that played Uncle Edgar, Isabel's lover was smooth and charming as you would expect.

If i start to go into everyone's performance i'll be here for another hour, there were that many characters so i'll leave it at that. I can't say i'd recommend this as a great movie, it was ok.

I saw a trailer for a British movie that's coming out at Christmas called Calendar Girls about a group of middle aged women that decide to produce a fund raiser calendar consisting of their own photos ..... nude! It stars Helen Mirren and Julie Walters which sold me straight away. It looks brilliant and exactly the kind of movie i love! I'll be looking forward to that one. Oh yes. DON'T plug "Calendar Girls" into Google.... Try the official website instead !


Official Website for Le Divorce

Comments

[acey.livejournal.com]

The "Calendar Girls" thing - that's a true story, isn't it? I love Helen Mirren.

[tvor.livejournal.com]

Yes it is based on a true story. I love both Helen and Julie. Helen Mirren was really good in Greenfingers, a light little movie about prisoners who become gardeners, another British movie and stars the lovely Clive Owen *swoon*

[aditi-.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link for 'Calander Girls'. I just watched the preview and I can hardly wait to see the movie!