Film Review: ‘Monte Carlo’ is Cut Above Young-Women-Abroad Films

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionE-mail page to friendE-mail page to friendPDF versionPDF version
No votes yet

CHICAGO – Nothing like a summer surprise at the movies to make the season a little more tolerable. Selena Gomez and the ubiquitous Leighton Meester take a sumptuous trip and brings us along in “Monte Carlo.”

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.0/5.0
Rating: 4.0/5.0

Using the old “Prince and the Pauper” theme, Monte Carlo creates a bubbly, amusing film with the old stagecraft of mistaken identity and the multiple slamming doors that result. It also is a pretty decent travelogue, going from the sights of Paris to the titular city of Monte Carlo in expressive and awe-inspiring shots. It seems everyone had a great time on their working vacation.

Grace (Selena Gomez) is a dreamer, looking the shake the dust off the small-time Texas town she is currently residing in. Her mother Pam (Andie McDowell) is remarried and Grace has a shaky relationship with her stepsister, Meg (Leighton Meester). But two things are coming up roses for Grace, she is finally graduating high school and taking the long-saved-for trip to Paris.

There are a couple of complications. Her parents are not sure of the responsibility of her traveling companion and older friend Emma (Katie Cassidy), so they insist that Meg go along. This throws both Katie and Grace into a tizzy, for Meg is rather a stick in the mud (still mourning the mother who has past away). But despite all that, and over the protestations of Katie’s boyfriend Owen (Cory Monteith), the gang jets to Pareé and hooks up with a less than luxurious tour.

Even though the tour company is a bummer, Meg does lock eyes with a hunky Aussie (Luke Bracey) and the best is yet to come. It seems that Grace bears a striking resemblance to the Paris Hilton of Britain, Cordelia Winthrop Scott (Gomez again) and before you can say two-of-the-kind the Texas gals are being flown to Monte Carlo on a private jet, where through a series of complications Grace will stand in for the heiress. Can true love be far behind?

”Monte Carlo” opens everywhere on July 1st. Featuring Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, Leighton Meester, Andie McDowell, Luke Bracey, Cory Monteith and Pierre Boulanger. Screenplay by Thomas Bezucha, April Blair and Maria Maggenti, directed by Thomas Bezucha. Rated “PG

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Monte Carlo”

The Dilemma: Leighton Meester (Meg), Katie Cassidy (Emma) and Selena Gomez (Grace) in ‘Monte Carlo’
The Dilemma: Leighton Meester (Meg), Katie Cassidy (Emma) and Selena Gomez (Grace) in ‘Monte Carlo’
Photo credit: Larry Horricks for © Twentieth Century Fox

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Monte Carlo”

Anonymous's picture

This is a very well done

This is a very well done movie but seems to have almost no publicity. I think this is a bad thing because a lot of people will appreciate the movie if they will see it.

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

User Login

Free Giveaway Mailing

TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

Advertisement



HollywoodChicago.com on Twitter

archive

HollywoodChicago.com Top Ten Discussions
tracker