The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
Adrien Brody, Brian Cox, Christopher Walken, Hayden Panettiere, Hilary Swank ... (see more) , Joely Richardson , Jonathan Pryce , Jonathon Price , Simon Baker
For all its earnest intrigue, historically accurate references, and elaborate set design, The Affair of the Necklace is best enjoyed as a comedy of Hollywood errors. The court of late-18th-century France is ruled by Marie Antoinette (Joely Richardson), whose confidence and favor is yearned for by Je... (read more) For all its earnest intrigue, historically accurate references, and elaborate set design, The Affair of the Necklace is best enjoyed as a comedy of Hollywood errors. The court of late-18th-century France is ruled by Marie Antoinette (Joely Richardson), whose confidence and favor is yearned for by Jeanne de la Motte-Valois (Hilary Swank), a young woman stripped of her title and orphaned at a young age. As flashbacks repeatedly remind the audience, Jeanne is essentially pure at heart even as she takes up with a court gigolo (Simon Baker) and enacts the intricate scheme from which the title is drawn. Soon embroiled in Jeanne's plan to win back her rightful place in the world are her avaricious husband of convenience, Nicolas (Adrien Brody); the soon-to-be-disposed-of Marie Antoinette; the salacious Cardinal Rohan (Jonathan Pryce); a necklace of questionable taste; and a host of other players. All the makings for a hilarious romp (à la Ridicule) are in place, but director Charles Shyer, with his lavish budget in tow, wants the film to be taken seriously. Only Christopher Walken, in a hilarious turn as the fraudulent soothsayer Count Cagliostro, sees through the facile script and relishes his part in what will no doubt prove a colossal flop. --Fionn Meade
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R, 117 min.
Directed by:
Charles Shyer
Release Date: Nov 30, 2001
DVD Release Date: Jun 25, 2002
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Flixster User Reviews
Not a big Hilary Swank fan, but this movie is based on historical data that led to the French Revolution and Marie Antoniette losing her head..oh my.
Wasnt a fan of Brian Cox.good story line at the end. What a long line of fraud.But now I'm getting confused on what REALLY happened with Marie Antoinette.I want the TRUTH
This movie had almost no idea what it wanted or where it wanted to go. That is a horribly obnoxious thing to watch. I'll tell you what I liked: most of the actors, with the exception of the guy who was Hillary Swank's love interest. The production de... (read more) This movie had almost no idea what it wanted or where it wanted to go. That is a horribly obnoxious thing to watch. I'll tell you what I liked: most of the actors, with the exception of the guy who was Hillary Swank's love interest. The production design and art direction were all fantastic. The cinematography was also very good.
Onto the bad. The editing was bad, the directing was amateurish at best, and the script was lacking so so much. The story was missing essential elements of cohesive structure and purpose. When you reach the ending of a film, especially one in the fashion of this one, you're supposed to feel a certain sense of closure and resolution. That is really missing here. What they fought for the whole film seems to not really mean much when it happens, and it does little to give a powerful sense of historical context.
This movie was so boring and stupid. It was supposed to be serious but Hilary Swank was terrible in this role.
I never knew of this movie until I ran across it today on HBO. I love historic pieces, so this was right up my alley.
Once you get past Hilary Swank's bad acting and poor attempts at an accent, this is an amazing film. A pretty historically accurate and brilliantly written depiction of the whole affair.
I have to say, I enjoyed this movie for a variety of reason. Lovely setting, interesting true(ish) story, and SOME good acting.
However, it's a mixed bag, some great bits, a lot of tragically flawed parts.
Watch it for: the grandiose settings, lush... (read more) I have to say, I enjoyed this movie for a variety of reason. Lovely setting, interesting true(ish) story, and SOME good acting.
However, it's a mixed bag, some great bits, a lot of tragically flawed parts.
Watch it for: the grandiose settings, lush fashions and gorgeous scenery.
Try to ignore... well, there's no way to say it, Hilary Swank. I wish they'd cast someone else... almost anyone else. Even Keira Knightley, though she would have been about, what, 12 when this movie was made? I agree wholeheartedly with an IMDB review that says the director mistakenly cast Swank's part as a 'martyr', when in truth, as portrayed in this script, she was a con woman and should have shown more hubris and swagger.
Entertaining, but deeply flawed.
Critic Reviews
The storytelling is hopelessly compromised by the movie's decision to sympathize with Jeanne.full review
The result is a mess, but a fairly enjoyable one, with some gorgeous period detail.full review
No matter how ornate or magnificent a strand of jewels might be, it's not the most effective device to pin a story on.full review
The Affair of the Necklace drags and meanders when it wants clarity and clockwork, and bogs down in hazy, vague emotions.full review
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