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The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
John Sweet (written by)
Release Date:
30 November 2001 (USA)
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Tagline:
This summer, one woman wins..... more
Plot:
In pre-Revolutionary France, a young aristocratic woman left penniless by the political unrest in the country, must avenge her family's fall from grace by scheming to steal a priceless necklace. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Hillary Swank to Be Honored at Hollywood Film Festival
(From MovieWeb. 13 October 2009, 11:12 AM, PDT)
Swank Laughs Off Sexuality Reports
(From WENN. 8 January 2002)
(From MovieWeb. 13 October 2009, 11:12 AM, PDT)
Swank Laughs Off Sexuality Reports
(From WENN. 8 January 2002)
User Comments:
A Good Movie That Could Have Been Great
more (57 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Hilary Swank | ... | Jeanne St. Remy de Valois |
 | Jonathan Pryce | ... | Cardinal Louis de Rohan |
 | Simon Baker | ... | Rétaux de Vilette |
 | Adrien Brody | ... | Count Nicolas De La Motte |
 | Brian Cox | ... | Minister Breteuil |
 | Joely Richardson | ... | Marie-Antoinette |
 | Christopher Walken | ... | Count Cagliostro |
 | Hayden Panettiere | ... | Young Jeanne |
 | Simon Kunz | ... | Minister of Titles |
| Paul Brooke | ... | Monsieur Bohmer |
| Peter Eyre | ... | Monsieur Bassenge |
| Frank McCusker | ... | Abel Duphot |
| Simon Shackleton | ... | Louis XVI |
| Hermione Gulliford | ... | Nicole Leguay d'Oliva |
| Geoffrey Hutchings | ... | President D'Aligre |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for some sexuality.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
USA:118 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Finland:K-11 |
Germany:12 |
Netherlands:12 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M |
Portugal:M/12 |
Singapore:NC-16 |
South Korea:15 |
Spain:13 |
Sweden:11 |
Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:12 |
USA:R (certificate #38526) |
Iceland:12 |
Canada:A (Ontario)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
In the 1938 film Marie Antoinette (1938), Norma Shearer refused any complimentary make-up for the final scene showing her character going to the guillotine. She wanted to look as haggard and exhausted as the real queen had in her final moments. In the final scene for this movie, Joely Richardson expressed the same effects as she tried to convey as her reflection can be viewed in the water bucket beside guillotine before the beheading.
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Quotes:
Jeanne St. Remy de Valois:
When all you hold dear is taken, risk is of little consequence.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Designing Affair: The Making of 'Affair of the Necklace' (2001) (V)
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Soundtrack:
Plasir d'amour
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (57 total)
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The costumes are lavish, the sets lush and resplendent. The story is compelling: how a strange affair of court intrigue becomes part of a larger mosaic of incidences that will eventually bring down the French monarchy. As a backdrop to the main events of the film is the rising unrest of the French citizenry who are becoming more and more disillusioned with their monarchy. A couple of great actors, most notably Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Rohan, stand out. And yet, although much of the film is there, it is not quite all there. Unfortunately for all its splendor, the final piece needed to make the movie a triumph is lacking: a leading lady right for the part. And maybe some adjustments in the music department.
First the positives: Despite a number of misgivings, this film still has the one element I always look for in any film: is the story compelling enough that, at any given moment, I care about what will happen next and it is not obvious what will happen next? And this movie definitely possesses the required attribute. Few movies have this rather simple facet, and yet, for me, it is often what will make or break a film regardless of the genre. Films as diverse as Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Amadeus, and The Sting have the notable quality of being unpredictable until the very end. These last examples are of course masterpieces of film-making where Necklace is not. It's a good film with a good story but not one that will make any critics' lists.
The story of The Affair of the Necklace is extremely complex involving a countess, the Cardinal of France, the Queen of France, a gigolo, a sorcerer/psychic, a couple of jewelers, a peasant actress, forged letters, and a necklace of tremendous value and prestige. From the start, we know who did it, and the story back-tracks to tell us how and why the intrigue was perpetrated.
Now the not-so-good news: Hillary Swank, a 2-time academy-award-winning actress, is miscast for the part. The rest of the cast acclimates relatively well to late 18th-century France except for her. At times she seems to be playing a character more akin to an early 20th-century debutante than an 18th-century former member of the aristocracy. At times, some of her scenes appear contrived to provoke pity. The character is portrayed on the more innocent and vulnerable side of the female-character spectrum. This seems a bit hard to swallow as this woman is also a mastermind behind an intrigue that may have contributed to the downfall of the aristocracy. Maybe someone like Helena Bonham-Carter would have been a better choice...
The music is also inconsistent. For the majority of the movie, 18th-century and even 17th-century music is heard which seems appropriate as this is a period picture. I noticed a brief excerpt from the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 in one of the church scenes. At other times, "original" music sounding a lot like Enya is played which always ruins my "disbelief". It reminds me we are in a movie made a couple of centuries after the events that are taking place. The filmmakers would have probably saved a lot of time and money by sticking to period music and not hiring a composer who writes new age music.
That said, this is still a good film when good films are uncommon. Perfect, not by a long shot. The script? Inconsistent but has its moments. Absorbing? Definitely. If you like period pictures, particularly those portraying pre-1800 Europe, you will still get a lot out of The Affair of the Necklace.