Grace Kelly’s career started and ended decades before I was born, yet her legacy is unforgettable and ingrained in popular culture. Today, she is known for her grace, beauty, style and poise.
I may admire her elegance, but I actually know nothing about her life. I know she was an actress turned princess who tragically died behind the wheel, and most importantly, she was Hitchcock’s muse, his ‘blonde’ … that was enough. Although Grace of Monaco has been all the chatter in recent months, I never intended to watch this film as I have very little interest in biopics. I actually can’t think of a biopic that was extraordinary. There are exceptions, of course, but unfortunately, this film wasn’t one of them. It’s taken Hollywood long enough to give Grace (yes, I’m on first name basis) this biopic and what do they do? They slap her in the face with this painful homage … I’m offended for her! Like I said, I may know nothing about her life, but I do know one thing … this film is a fairytale – and I don’t mean the good kind – it’s melodramatic and over-the-top. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one expecting the rise and fall of Grace. OK, OK, the movie may not be completely terrible, but with a decent cast and an award-winning director, you think it would be a hole-in-one! The scenery is great and far from low budget, but the plot is ridiculous and, in my opinion, the film is boring. The film opens in slow motion, following Grace Kelly on her last film shoot in 1956. As she walks from the set to the dressing room the audience are informed, through the radio, that she is getting married to Rainer III (Tim Roth), the Prince of Monaco. Skip a few years later and Princess Grace is married with two children, yet unhappy and neglected. Alfred Hitchcock shows up and offers her a million dollars to star in his new film, Marnie, and her Prince reluctantly agrees to let her do it, as he is too busy dealing with Monaco’s future. Meanwhile, France’s General de Gaulle is insisting that the people living in Monaco must pay taxes, but Prince Rainer doesn’t believe they should as it is an independent nation, resulting in the French launching a trade blockade. That’s about it – there’s the occasional ball, wigs and dancing. It’s just one big fairytale. I’m not a fan of Nicole Kidman, but she showcased style and elegance as Grace Kelly. She did the best job she could, bearing in mind the dramatics of the film. She sometimes falters while trying to explain her emotions through her facial expression, but I wonder whether or not to blame that on the Botox. Tim Roth was a very odd choice to play the Prince of Monaco. He usually delivers his lines with ease and convinces the audience he’s in the right role. This time around, he seems distracted throughout and looks like he may be in pain. Don’t listen to the chatter; this film is not a biopic, but rather a slap in the face to the French, Grace Kelly and the royals of Monaco. Director Olivier Dahan, just like Roth, seems distracted throughout the film. He doesn’t know what he wants to show the audience. Throughout the movie, he included unnecessary scenes to showcase the beautiful scenery. It gave the film colour and beautiful visuals but, it was absolutely unnecessary. It had me wondering if I should be looking for clues. Unfortunately, however, the film wasn’t complex enough to require the viewers to do any digging when it came to suspicions. Overall, if you’re a fan of Grace Kelly, you will be left disappointed. However, if you enjoy watching fairy-tale biopics, wait until this is released on DVD, or even on TV. l Showing in Cineco, Seef I, Seef II
