The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Theatrical Release: Nov 30, 2001 Limited
Synopsis: 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... 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 Rétaux 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. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Hilary Swank, Simon Baker-Denny, Adrien Brody, Jonathan Pryce, Joely Richardson
Screenwriter: John Sweet
Producer: Redmond Morris, Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Milena Canonero
Composer: David Newman
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Reviews
Much of the dramatic juice and intrigue have been drained out of this old-fashioned costume drama, that in the hands of director Charles Shyer and actress Hilary Swank becomes stiff, stuffy, and banal affair.
Swank's honest mistake is in trying to be worthy of a project that's beneath her.
I felt as if I was at an Yves St. Laurent fashion show and the actors were modeling the latest in 18th-century fashions.
... takes a fascinating footnote and reduces it to a mediocre and fitfully entertaining film.
A crass, often ridiculously misguided period drama that spells everything out in nice, big block letters so even a small child could comprehend it.
"Affair of the Necklace" is as pretty as a Parisian postcard, and just as flat.
The kind of movie made bearable only by uttering snide comments to a friend.
The film has a desperate, disjointed feel that suggests the filmmakers realized it wasn't working and kept trying, ineffectually, to fix it.
An impressive achievement on the part of the writer, John Sweet, as well as the director, Charles Shyer.
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by: Lady Angelique 4/4/02
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