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The Affair Of The Necklace
2001
This tale of intrigue and corruption is based on a true account of 18th Century French noblewoman Jeanne de la Motte-Valois (played by Oscar-winner Hilary Swank), whose family has been dispossessed of status and title by the king. To restore honor to her name, not to mention reclaim her family estate, Jeanne must have her .. Read more
| Starring | Hilary Swank, Jonathan Pryce, Simon Baker, Joely Richardson |
|---|---|
| Director | Charles Shyer |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Affair Of The Necklace
This tale of intrigue and corruption is based on a true account of 18th Century French noblewoman Jeanne de la Motte-Valois (played by Oscar-winner Hilary Swank), whose family has been dispossessed of status and title by the king. To restore honor to her name, not to mention reclaim her family estate, Jeanne must have her lineage officially authenticated at the court of Versailles. After several unsuccessful attempts to obtain an audience with Marie Antoinette (Joely Richardson), Jeanne finds an ally in male courtesan Retaux de la Villette (Simon Baker), who advises her to try and gain influence at court by attracting a wealthy sponsor: Cardinal Rohan (Jonathan Pryce), a ruthless man whose appetite for women is only exceeded by his appetite for power. Aided by Villette, her estranged husband Nicolas (Adrien Brody), and an enigmatic foreign mystic, Count Cagliostro (Christopher Walken), Jeanne becomes embroiled in an elaborate scheme involving the cardinal, the queen, and the theft of a priceless diamond necklace. Director Charles Shyer's opulent costume drama, set against a backdrop of increasing civil unrest in pre-revolutionary France, was filmed in Prague and on location at Versailles.
| Starring | Hilary Swank, Jonathan Pryce, Simon Baker, Joely Richardson, Christopher Walken, Brian Cox, Adrien Brody |
|---|---|
| Director | Charles Shyer |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 53 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 08 Jul 2002 Production year: 2001 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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Director Charles Shyer — best known for fluffy comedies such as the 1990s remakes of The Parent Trap and Father of the Bride — here delivers a stodgy period drama, based on a true event that has since been credited as one of the contributory causes of the French Revolution. While that sounds potentially fascinating, the result is actually a turgid and woefully miscast mess, as Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry) fails to look like a delicate French lady trying to regain her noble birthright by meddling in court intrigue. Equally out of their depth and looking far too 21st-century are Adrien Brody and Simon Baker as two of her fellow schemers. So it's left to Jonathan Pryce to inject some humour by camping it up as a lustful cardinal, while Christopher Walken delivers a priceless performance as an 18th-century version of Mystic Meg. Sadly, even his deliciously daft turn isn't enough to stop this from being a tediously bland affair.
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Vapid and confusing period drama, based on actual events that contributed to the French Revolution, though it's impossible from this account to understand why.
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Most helpful member's review
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6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Beautiful to look at!
This film is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Having said that, it doesn't have a plot and the characters are 20th Century American, not 18th Century French. Hence the anachronism is hilarious in the 'Yonder is the castle of my fadder' school of historical acting. I recommend you watch it with the sound turned off.
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Most recent members' review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Most rivetting HISTORY.
The extraordinary web of events portrayed in this film actually happened. Few people outside France have heard of the affair of the necklace and its role in the downfall of Marie Antoinette and the French aristocracy. The history is truly remarkable - intricate and convoluted. And this is the merit of the film, followed perhaps by the high production values of a historical costume drama on film. However, the acting is generally lightweight, but for Jonathan Pryce's portrayal of the cardinal, tension is mild and dialogue is matter-of-fact. Dramatically the film, therefore, is weak. It does, however, have value.
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The Affair Of The Necklace
This tale of intrigue and corruption is based on a true account of 18th Century French noblewoman Jeanne de la Motte-Valois (played by Oscar-winner Hilary Swank), whose family has been dispossessed of status and title by the king. To restore honor to her name, not to mention reclaim her family ...
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