Best movie of this year hands down!

An Exercise In Nonsense

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

it is too easy to criticize it. because it is only glamorous homage to a legend of Hollywood. nothing more. the costumes, the lights, Nicole Kidman herself as inspired choice for remind Grace Kelly, Tim Roth as an ambiguous leader looking the better manner for solve the crisis and drive his marriage, the naive crumbs of conspiracy and the characters as sketches are proofs for accept the film only as nice exercise for remind an old fairy tale in its dramatic aspect. it is not a great film. but it is useful trip in atmosphere of a small European state who remains almost a mystery under the sparkles of a lot of seductive activities.

I hope Hollywood would stop using famous and well-known actors to embody famous actors whose lives they pay homage to. As a viewer, my perception becomes too skewed with trying to remember who the homage is for and how well the actor is performing. I would love to imagine the honored person's life being played out in the big screen, if Hollywood doesn't mind. In my opinion, a less known or unknown look-alike would do that. Nicole Kidman is a beautiful actor but I couldn't imagine nor remember Princess Grace. Also, Nicole Kidman does NOT have Grace Kelly's facial bone structure nor the look in her eyes that made Grace Kelly so famous and loved. Now Tim Roth who played the role of Prince Rainier was just frustrating. Disappointing.

It's 1961. Former Hollywood star Grace Kelly (Nicole Kidman) is married to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (Tim Roth) with two kids. Hitchcock tries to lure her back to Hollywood for his movie Marnie. France is fighting a colonial war in Algeria and is demanding taxation from Monaco. Charles De Gaulle is threatening invasion. Grace Kelly is suffocating under the pressure and decides to do the movie.I came into this movie knowing that it's been critically panned but not necessarily why. At first, I thought the movie isn't that bad. There is definitely artistic license being taken with the historical events but that's par for the course. Then after twenty to thirty minutes, it became clear that something is glaringly wrong with this movie. The overwrought melodrama with the historical events left a bitter taste. Finally, I read that very little of it is historically accurate which makes a lot of sense. None of it rang true when I saw it. It's like a bad soap opera.Some of the visuals are beautifully shot but sometimes it goes overboard like it's trying way too hard. There are many ridiculous things like her frustration day after day getting acting lessons. The screenwriter should remember that she was actually a professional actress. It's fine that she's told to act a certain way but Grace Kelly could easily achieve it all by herself without any trouble or any coaching. It becomes a group of fictional incorrect characters in a surreal play that intersects sometimes with historical events.

No one who watched Grace Kelly's life unfold could question, seeing the expression in her eyes, that she paid a large price for her ascent to royalty. While this movie is dissed roundly, it is often dissed roundly by men, who focus on the historical details (evidently not accurate down to the letter, while I would guess these same men would overlook similar literary license in say, "The Bridge over the River Kwai.") But this is about a woman who had risen to the height of power in Hollywood, and gave it all up for her family and husband. It is very clear that the Monegasques held her hostage, for so shining an actress would clearly step away from her source of creativity and power (financial, creative, you name it) only when forced. I personally have often wondered if Grace's family, with it's famous athleticism and competitiveness, forced her to a height of so-called "achievement" with a brand of snobbery and narrow-mindedness that overlooked her incredible acting talents and achievements in favor of a traditional role - "snaring" the world's greatest single man "catch" of the time- which of course turned into a nightmare. That is what is strongly implied here and this is a wonderful movie of discovery - watching Grace understand that her life is now a permanent movie role, ultimately her acting ability being used to place Monaco on the world stage. Whether or not Grace was instrumental in somehow saving Monaco from French aggression, this emotional journey rings true. It is the story, really, of every woman who either chooses to or is forced to subsume her own worldly ambitions for home and family, and the price that she pays. A price that men often cannot even recognize, even in the movies. Bravo to Nicole Kidman for this sensitive portrayal of the princess held captive in her castle, choked by her diamonds and weighted by her tiara. Keep them (the men desiring to lock us women up, breeding and smiling) squirming!