Rating: 
Summary: l'amour et son prix.
Review: "I'm helpless, Isabel. I know I am absolutely in the wrong but there's nothing I can do about it. Roxy should understand that, she's a poet. Another artist with so much imagination. I know this sounds romantic in the wrong sort of way... [but] it's inevitable. I met the woman of my life and I want to be only with her. I'm painting better than I've ever done in my life... I feel like for the first time I've arrived at certainty."Reasoned painter Charles-Henri de Persand (Melvil Poupaud) while found out by the visiting sister-in-law Isabel (Kate Hudson), which is amusing since both are equally not well disciplined in addressing a relationship but that, is awesome to say anyway. Honest, romantic, and spontaneous as the way Charles-Henri's quote should, LE DIVORCE sounds and looks better than any other contemporary comedy. Realising her broken marriage could get as worst as losing a precious family heritage [the painting La Tour], and not getting any helpful support from young Isabel who is deeply fascinated by the diplomat uncle-in-law Edgar Cosset (Thierry Lhermitte), the pregnant and emotionally devastated Roxanna (Naomi Watts) finally looked up to her parents in America for help. The entire Walker family arrive in the springtime Paris. Together with a little help from Roxy's devoting lawyer Maitre Bertram (Jean-Marc Barr) they must protect their daughters from the Persands who relentlessly spoiled the son, and claim their ownership as surely as the £4 million value of La Tour amidst LE DIVORCE. Not a surprising happy ending. I particularly like the screen writer's link of uncle Cosset with the residing American publisher Olivia Pace (Glenn Close) decades before his current affair with Isabel. Even a forever Hérmes Kelly [handbag] could never team up with a lightest, finest strip of silk scarf. Introducing Rona Hartner, who plays Magda the strikingly sexy Russian brunnette who left her American husband for Charles-Henri.
Rating: 
Summary: Le Avoidance
Review: A character in Le Divorce says something to the effect of, 'there is a fine line between tragedy and comedy'. This is what viewers are ultimately to take away from the film, but the failure to deliver either tragedy or comedy renders this movie pointless. The existing tragedy is forced and overly foreshadowed through the film's entirety by a manic character who is never fully fleshed out. Perhaps this is an attempt to create intrigue and, by film's end, suspense, but the delivery falls flat and deprives viewers of the character with the most interest potential. As for comedy, expect neither cultural satire nor slapstick. The wit is dry and the subject matter never truly lends itself to a comic focus. When watching Le Divorce, expect underdeveloped characters whose various predicaments are neither compelling nor surprising. It is difficult to connect emotionally with any of the leads leaving most viewers to simply shrug their shoulders at their onscreen interaction. Even during the most traumatic of moments designed to elict shock and sadness I found myself asking, "Who are these people and why do we care?" This is never answered and made more fustrating by a subplot involving a family heirloom that consumes large portions of the movie by introducing unnecessary characters that shed little light on the main players. Avoid.
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME
Review: My fiance and I rented this because it claimed to be a comedy- and that's the biggest lie I've seen yet. It's not funny, it's not romantic, it's not dramatic, it's poorly acted, and the story line just stinks. Hopefully, if you're really looking for a good romantic comedy, you'll just keep on looking!
Rating: 
Summary: Le grand MESS
Review: There was some speculation that the reason "Le Divorce" flopped at the box office was due to contentious relations between Americans and the French. Really, the film bombed because it is a great big silly mess. It starts out promisingly--Kate Hudson is as fresh as a California breeze as she arrives in Paris to visit her pregnant sister, Roxy (Naomi Watts), whose aristocrat French husband leaves her with no explanation. Watts is stuck in a thankless role, but she does what she can, and you can't help but sympathize with the woman, especially as she reads Ann Bradstreet's "To My Loving Husband" at a poetry reading. Hudson's character Isabel soon takes up with an older relative (by marriage) who is her polar opposite in terms of politics and values, yet who still has a certain sexual magnetism. The concept of an older, married Frenchman keeping a nubile, young mistress might seem shocking to anyone who's been living under a rock for the past two hundred years, but ultimately, it's a fairly pointless plot detour that allows us a glimpse at expensive French purses and lingerie and shows us how the ridiculously wealthy French dine and spend their time, but little more. The jokes at the expense of the French are lame and cliched and nothing you've never heard before. The filmmakers stupidly pass up an opportunity to truly examine French family values and sexual mores. That would have made for an interesting film. Instead, they merely brush the surface. As it is, "Le Divorce" promises too much and delivers too little. After the film meanders through several other underwritten plot lines, Matthew Modine shows up, and things really fall apart. As Tellman, the scorned husband of Magda, Roxy's husband's obnoxious Russian mistress, Modine appears just as befuddled by the film as those watching it. We are given little reason for his erratic behavior, and when he finally loses it, the principal reaction is confusion, not shock or dismay. Great actors like Glenn Close, Sam Waterston, Stockard Channing, Leslie Caron, and Jean-Marc Barr can do nothing but flounder in the cardboard roles given them. It's difficult to say if this disjointed film suffers from poor editing or poor writing. Either way, it's pretty forgettable. On a side note, the DVD contains no extras and no deleted scenes, so there's no way of knowing if the best parts of this film were left on the cutting room floor. Merchant-Ivory are obviously in love with Paris, and you can hardly blame them. You do see a good deal of the city's beauty, but this is a film best saved for renting.
Rating:
Summary: Hugely boring waste of time
Review: Boy, it's hard to believe that this is from the Ivory Merchant team that has made so many classic films. Shallow, drecky, and one of the most utterly boring movies it has been my bad luck to rent! Full of dumb, lame stereotypes about the French -- is this some kind of cretin revenge for Iraq or what? I won't bore you by recapitulating the whole plot, but it revolves around MONEY (and a valuable painting) in a way that is actually less interesting than anybody's real divorce proceedings. Being so obsessed wtih money over relationships reduces any seriousness or caring about the characters we might have felt. Kate Hudson is very beautiful but looks absurd in a cheap, obvious wig and clothing that no 22 year old would ever wear. As a result, she comes off older (even though I think she actually IS around 22 or so), and the actor playing Edgar looks YOUNGER than 55, so their affair isn't remotely shocking. (IMPORTANT NOTE: in the novel, Edgar is 75 years old! the affair is supposed to be kind of creepy and awful, not sexy at all.) The only reason to rent or watch this awful tripe: Naomi Watts. One of the most beautiful and talented actresses working today. I'd pay money to watch her brush her teeth. Turn the sound off, and fast forward through until her parts or you will find this unbearable. A total waste of talent, money and 35mm film. One of the WORST movies of the last ten years.
Rating: 
Summary: wonderful chick flick!
Review: This was great, those reviewers would be bored by anything~!
what are they referring to it cant be this film?
I just saw it and wanted to share how great this was, I enjoyed the subtle Jabs at The French, The Humor was so tongue in cheek, Plenty of Irony here,.. SO amusing. This film was like a good fiction novel where you hide on Saturday and eat chocolate and make it go slow so it doesnt end.... I LOVED it~!
If you liked Sleepless in seattle you'd like this, but I think if youve been to Paris this will really strike a bell more with you. Lots of Jabs at the French its so funny~!
The Hermes' bag given as a gift from the Uncle in law lover, was hilarious as a prop, I belive them to cost up to 50,000 I dont know the value of the one he buys the Mistress but when you watch it so you get the joke that purse was extremely expensive at least 10,000 just so you understand how amusing it is she runs around in town with it not understanding how it singles her out.
Also I loved the jokes about the French women and thier scarves.
The Husband who leaves his pregant wife you want to hate, and the way his family protects him might resonate with some women who have divorced and found thier ex' family excuses everything they do wrong just becasue of Blood and family pride.
I loved the escapsm here, I got to be in Paris a coupla hours thru this movie today and it wasnt' the alleys but the finer places I didnt get to see. Lots of elegance and wit and food here.
Lots of clothing changes and "oohhhhhhhhhh what a pretty blouse" moments. Get your GF and some wine and watch~ very fun~!
Rating:
Summary: BORE
Review: This movie was teased as a comedy, anything but. No story and characters you never care about. Major disappointment and total waste of time.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful cast - forgettable film.
Review: This film is deeply flawed but still pleasant to watch.
Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts are hypnotizing and Paris and other cinema details are beautifully presented. The conversations are all complex and witty and dry, which is all to the good. One problem is that there's no happiness anywhere to be found here. Despite the flatness of their characters one hopes for good things to happen to these girls, only to have more nuance and complexity. Like old wine - it's an experience, but may not be good wine - perhaps a little too dry. Also this is not a traditional film. One goes in thinking it's an American-style romance or a dramady with a buildup and a story-arc. Then you're surprised when one scene follows another and suddenly characters just-introduced are sitting in bed watching TV. They've skipped all the good parts. These people are fully sexualized adults - they (and the filmakers) have no sense of play, avoiding the pursuit and passion to savor the ambivilance, complexity, etc.etc. How very European of them. This is pure arthouse. On that level it's a beautiful film which reflects the writer's urbane sophistication and a certain worldliness. But that's only half the ingredients for real success. Rent it if you like Naomi or Kate. It's not worth a purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time
Review: Now there's 117 minutes I'll never get back.
Rating:
Summary: Le Mess
Review: I gave the film 2 stars, but I give the blue lingerie and red Kelly bag 4 stars. It is hard to believe that the same people behind Howard's End produced this movie. To me, Howard's End was perfection. It worked on so many levels. Every time I see it I catch some other little innuendo, facial expression, or social statement that I missed before. A classic no matter what the century. But this movie...<sigh>...defies description. The one word that comes to mind is that it is as cold as ice. Everyone in it has ice water running through their veins. There is no passion. The love scenes are unnatural, clumsy, and unbelievable. Hudson's cheap looking wig was so bad it was distracting. The opening credits and jaunty little French tune made me think this was going to be a lighthearted comedy along the lines of Down with Love. There were so many plot holes in the story it defied logic. It starts with Le Divorcee (Watts) just letting her husband walk out the door with barely a whimper (cold). Then Le Sister (Hudson) shows up and gives him a kiss-kiss and doesn't question his weird (cold) behavior. The resident 'passionate' neurotic was ridiculous. This is how off track I was with this movie. I originally thought that Hudson's character started the affair with Edgar to eventually use him to set up a blackmail scheme against him and his brother. Did I confuse you enough? Not for one minute did I think she actually liked the guy. She sure loved that red Kelly bag though - can't blame her there! I kept waiting for all of these loose ends (the painting, the families, the curators, etc.) to resolve themselves. Then it just ends (predictably). Rent this only if there isn't anything better on the shelf at Blockbuster.
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