The Affair of the Necklace

Starring:Hilary Swank, Jonathan Pryce
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

L'affaire du collier.......2007-01-30

I think this movie gets me because it is based on a true story, not entirely true, but the necklace scandal, in my opinion did contribute to the french revolution, Hilary is wonderful, I think. The whole movie is wonderful, and sad because you know what happens to the people involved, I would recommend owning this DVD, if you enjoy, historical, or period pieces.

The story of a necklace, and it's power to bring down all of France..........2006-11-06

The Affair of the Necklace is a surprising film for one that falls within the dreaded period piece genre. Whenever I watch films of this nature I typically feel like I have seen the story time and time again. A mismatched couple finds love together, only to have some tragedy befall them by the end of the film. It is the classic "Pride & Prejudice" scenario mixed with a blend of "Wuthering Heights". It is sad because for a very long time Hollywood couldn't release a period piece film that redefined the genre. Most viewers avoided these types of films because of the cliché nature coupled with the dull, monotonous acting that could only be accomplished by a short-list of actors. To me the genre is painful, but The Affair of the Necklace doesn't seem to fit within that age-old mold. What makes this film stand out from the rest within the genre is the fact that screenwriter John Sweet gives us deception and intrigue with our characters, coupled with a story that you would see in typical mainstream cinema. While it may be based on a true event, Sweet's story, coupled with the decent eye of director Charles Shyer (of Baby Boom fame) gives us a modern twist instead of the stale comradery that this genre is commonly used to. The Affair of the Necklace stands proudly on its own.

What makes this film stand out is that Shyer doesn't hide anything from us. This can be both a positive and a negative because it doesn't keep you guessing until the end. You know what is going to happen, it isn't sympathetic in nature, but instead demonstrates the power of the human desire and the corruption of the human "need". What I found interesting about this film is the contrast between the class that Swank tries to fit within and that of the upper class citizens of Versailles. All that she wants is to be a part of her family's history, which is that of wealthy and social standing, while it is that upper class that ultimately destroys the reputation of France. Swank's character Jeanne is shown to become a symbol of the common class, but in reality she is just trying to reach up into a wide open sky. The struggle then becomes rather confusing as Shyer wants us to feel sympathy for the obvious villain (Pryce) or are we to feel sympathy for the central character, Swank, which commits evil deeds for her own self righteousness. While some will argue that this is a downfall to the film, I kind of enjoyed it. I liked seeing my mind flutter between the two, knowing that one seems evil and the other is evil. It was creative for this period piece to see the story unfold from the eyes of the thief instead of the savior. This worked until the end, when Shyer demanded sympathy from us and, in my case, found none. By the end, I could not care what happened to Swank because she had it coming to her all along, from the beginning we see her mind reacting to situations, and this one happened to put her in the hypothetical "hot seat". It was this internal struggle with this film that really made Shyer's outing stand apart from the rest in the genre.

While I liked Shyer's film, it was his choice of actors that I need to fault as why it isn't a perfect film. While I would agree with most film critics that Swank is an actress that is not afraid of sinking her teeth into a role, I did feel that this singular role was not made for her shoes. Swank seems "silly" as Jeanne, attempting to bring a level of emotion to a character that felt more snobbish and jealous than honest. Her smile, her actions, her sex-appeal just wasn't prevalent in this film, nor did it work. This was her first feature role after Boys Don't Cry, and I think that Shyer really just wanted to ride the Oscar bandwagon, without thinking further within his character. Pryce is ... well ... Pryce. If you have seen one of his period piece films, then you have seen him in this one. I think directors know he looks like someone from that period, so he is instantly cast. Simon Baker is a decent choice to play the gigolo; he seems to have the smile that could melt women. Adrien Brody seemed to come out from left field for this film. He is a great actor, but he was used as a classic "reveal" in this film. A surprise known actors comes in during the center of the film to bring viewers out of the possible sleep they could be facing. Christopher Walken, a actor that I believe rules this generation of cinema, was odd in this film. I kept waiting for him to yell, "COWBELL, this film needs more COWBELL". He wore a strange mustache and odd hair, but was fun none the less. Alas, Antoinette herself could have been better played than through the eyes of Joely Richardson. While she may be a decent actress, this was just too goofy for her. We needed a stronger female actress in this role. While I loved Sweet's story, it was Shyer's choice of casting that really hurt the overall sensation of this film.

Overall, I could suggest this film to friends and family. I don't think I could watch it again, but it was definitely worth the two hours spent in front of the television. I thought, outside of the performances, that the cinematography was beautiful, the change of direction from your normal period piece drama was a breath of fresh air, and that Shyer did a decent job of placing a new spin on a tired genre. There are some major sparks to this film, but it just didn't light a full fire in my eyes. I loved the opening music as well. The addition of Alanis Morissette's hypnotic voice to the opening and closing to this film added a strong undertone that set the pace for the rest of the film. It was a strong film for Shyer; I am not here to disown it in any way. I want others to see this film, but I don't think I could watch it again. Redefining a genre is smart, but Shyer could have strengthened his directing arm a bit more by adding crucial actors to better roles and a stronger empathy towards one true character instead of a big switch midway through the film. Again, I liked it, but didn't love it.

Grade: *** out of *****

Heroic Scoundrels.......2006-10-18

Director Charles Shyer's lone Oscar nomination came for Best Original Screenplay in 1980 for "Private Benjamin." He's since made a career with comedies such as "The Parent Trap" & "Father of the Bride, I & II." He continued to branch out with the Jude Law/Susan Sarandon remake of "Alfie," which I liked. This film was his first "serious" drama, although for much of the film I thought it was going to be a comedy crime caper set in historical France. The major problem with the film is that the disparate elements work against each other.

Hilary Swank is one of those rare actresses who gained prominence on TV's "90210" for a year and has then garnered two Best Actress Oscars in two nominations, "Boys Don't Cry" (1999) & "Million Dollar Baby" (2004). Whether it squares with history or not, Jeanne de la Motte Valois is played as a heroic scoundrel, using intrigue and deception to right a wrong. Maybe we could see her as a female Zorro, a vigilante hero. However, the trial at the end tries to crescendo with great sympathy for this character, but the film simply didn't build to that. I expected her to pull another fast one to escape.

Simon Baker who has been on CBS' new "Smith" series and had a Golden Globe nomination in 2001 for his role on TV's "The Guardian" does a good job as the tongue-in-cheek gigolo who's willing to take risks for romance. His light touch makes us root for him to get the girl. While his other film projects like "Something New," "The Devil Wears Prada" & "Ring 2" have shown both comic and dramatic skills, the prison beating and his final scene being dragged out of the courtroom don't seem to match with the narration that he never saw Jeanne again. We wanted them to get together.

Adrien Brody whose Best Actor Oscar is for "The Pianist" does a credible job as the rascal husband. The script gives us teasers about the attraction between the two, but doesn't let Swank & Brody really burn the bridges or explore all the levels.

Christopher Walken does a good job as the hocus pocus Count. With his Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1978 for "The Deer Hunter," Shyer certainly had an award-winning cast with which to work!

Joely Richardson who reflects some of her mother Vanessa Redgrave's features does an excellent job as Marie Antoinette. I've enjoyed her so much on the "Nip & Tuck" TV show as Julia that when I heard her voice, I immediately identified her as the same actress. She does a nice job of being superficial, plotting, determined and then defeated as she loses her head.

Jonathan Pryce, who I will always probably think of in James Bond, does a good job being the sleazy Cardinal Louis de Rohan. Milena Canonero has the film's sole Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design. As a whole, this is an entertaining film. If you allow yourself to rise above the flaws, it is a worthwhile evening of entertainment. Enjoy!

A Falsification of History........2006-07-05

I understand that historic episodes adapted into film must be changed to a certain degree in order to be viewable in the movie theaters.However, in this case, real History is far more interesting and complex than the horror they made when writting the script of this movie and this is why:
-In the movie, Jeanne de la Motte descended from the Valois royal family, and her wealthy father got killed because he wanted people to be free and he could lay claim to the French throne...False! In reality, Jeanne claimed to descend from an Ilegitimate son of Henri II of Valois(The Bastard of Angouleme) which means her father had no legal rights on the French throne.Moreover, her father was a drunk in real life and her mother was a prostitute.
-In the movie Jeanne also is presented as a victim of the Monarchy, by writting her memoirs. The movie doesn't mention however that Jeanne falsely implicated Marie Antoinette in the Affair of the Necklace and she blackmailed her up untill the revolution.The Queen was innocent of everything.
In other words, the movie presents a rather innocent almost angelic Jeanne de la Motte when in reality she was a far darker, more corrupted woman who never stopped intriguing untill the time of her death.
The only thing worth seeing about this movie are the costumes and sets: they are extremely accurate and they got the chance to film some scenes in Versailles which is very rare.
Let's hope Sofia Coppola makes this story more justice in her upcoming picture "Marie Antoinette"...

Beautiful and Muddled.......2006-06-19

As a lover of costume dramas, I was disapointed that such an amazing cast could produce such a spirtless film. Hillary Swank, though a great actress, does little to breathe life into the her character, Jeanne Valois. Though she is supposed to evoke sympathy, besides a few flashbacks we see little that makes her life seem unbearable enough to fabricate the plot to steal the necklace. Most of the characters don't do enough to express their desires and passions, and the plan to steal the necklace seems quite muddled and doomed to fail. One exception is Johnathan Bryce's Cardinal Rohan, the only character I felt was truly three dimentional. In addition to faulty performances, the script tries too hard to wrap up and affair that seems too complicated to neatly summarize in blurbs at the end of the film. All of a sudden, we see Marie Antoinette being executed, with a narrative voice that says something to the effect of "And that was the end of Marie Antoinette." Duh. She's in a guillotine. We miss all the steps of her getting there, however. This film seems to loosly tackles an inticate subject, and proves a thoroghly mediocre affair. Costuming was probably the strongest point, which isn't saying all that much.

Average customer rating:

L'affaire du collier
The story of a necklace, and it's power to bring down all of France...
Heroic Scoundrels
A Falsification of History.
Beautiful and Muddled

The Affair of the Necklace [Region 2]
Starring: Hilary Swank , Jonathan Pryce , Simon Baker , Adrien Brody , and Brian Cox
Director: Charles Shyer
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000067A86

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Customer Reviews:

L'affaire du collier.......2007-01-30

The story of a necklace, and it's power to bring down all of France..........2006-11-06

Heroic Scoundrels.......2006-10-18

A Falsification of History........2006-07-05

Beautiful and Muddled.......2006-06-19

A Very Long Engagement/The Affair of the Necklace

Average customer rating:

A Very Long Engagement/The Affair of the Necklace
Starring: Warner 2pak
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

A Very Long Engagement/The Affair of the Necklace
Starring: Warner 2pak
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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