Based on the 1997 National Book Award-nominated novel of the same name by Diane Johnson (co-writer of the script for Stanley Kubrick's The Shining), Le Divorce is a romantic comedy from director James Ivory. Revisiting the "Americans in France" theme that Ivory explored in 1998's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries, the film stars Kate Hudson as Isabel Walker. When she receives word that her pregnant poetess sister Roxy (Naomi Watts) has been left by her philandering French husband, artist
Charles-Henri de Persand (Melvil Poupaud), Isabel offers her help and moral support. As the depressive Roxy struggles with the separation proceedings -- which include the rights to ownership of a work of art that's a family heirloom -- Isabel takes a job with author Olivia Pace and has a fling with the bohemian Yves (Romain Duris). But things get complicated when the younger, more impudent sister decides instead to pursue Charles' uncle, the snooty, married diplomat Edgar (Thierry Lhermitte), and when a mysterious man (Matthew Modine) starts stalking Roxy. Eventually, the rest of the plucky Walker clan has to come to the aid of the siblings. Stockard Channing and Sam Waterston co-star. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
It's all perfectly pleasant, but the movie lacks an urgent dramatic pulse, or a clear sense of whose story it's supposed to be, or even, from scene to scene, whether it's meant to be a comedy, drama or thriller.
The film's most successful performances come from those actors who have a subtle but firm grip on their otherwise skimpy characters -- Lhermitte and Caron, in particular.
Its annoying need to be witty, profound, funny, and charming at all times makes what could have been a smart comedy a tiresome exercise in pleasing its audience.
At the end when we should be thinking about love and lessons of maturity, we are left with Isabel shrugging off her latest mistake and charging headlong into who-knows-what.
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