Rating: 
Summary: Unfocused, but worthwhile
Review: Merchant/Ivory drop their period frocks for a moment to engage in this labyrinthine comedy of modern relationship manners and transatlantic differences about a pregnant American girl (Naomi Watts) on the verge of divorcing her no-good Gallic swain. With the aid of her wilder sister (Kate Hudson), who arrives from America on an extended vacation looking for romance and adventure (both of which she finds), she negotiates her way through the problems thrown up by the differences between US and French matrimonial legacy laws in respect of a valuable painting.
Somewhat lacking in focus, it is a film of good parts rather than an entire success, and the Merchant/Ivory habit of limning only the upper reaches of bourgeois society is confident but somewhat limiting. Matthew Modine as a semi-psychotic abandoned husband is clearly in need of help.
Rating: 
Summary: an attempt at art, gone HORRIBLY wrong
Review: first of all, those looking for a romantic comedy ought to look elsewhere. this movie is neither romantic, nor comedy. it is a sad attempt at making an artsy, vaguely foreign film. the characters lack depth, the story flops around without gaining any foothold, and the cimematography is lackluster at best. the film has two actresses that i (for the most part) enjoy. i am a huge fan of naomi watts, and i have enjoyed kate hudson in some of her films. both actresses do a pretty good job, they just have a poorly written script to work off of. the characters are vapid and the writer takes verbose language for being good language. it is not the size of the words that counts, it is the way they are arranged. as i said before, those looking for a comedy, look elsewhere (i suggest serendipity or love actually). this is a depressing and hopeless look at love. now, if you are looking for eye-candy, kate and naomi both look very good! if you are looking for a good movie, this is NOT for you!
Rating: 
Summary: False Advertising
Review: From the get-go this movie was pushed as "A Hip Romantic Comedy" Rex Reed, The New York Observer. Well it's not. Hudson is charming, but it's too hard to believe she's be so foolish in this movie. basically the movie says....french men cheat, and it's ok, french women are so sophisticated that they allow it, and that the french goverment/way of life is built to surround this. not being a particular lover of the french, i have to admit i found parts of this movie insulting and very sterotypical. couple that with characters who have no need to be in the movie, a handsome man who's suppose to be at least 30 years hudson's senior (and doesn't look like it), and a story that keeps you watching because you think something interesting might actually happen, and there is Le Divorce. do not buy this movie. rent it....if nothing else is in. Le Divorce is the type of movie people should push aside to show the world not to make movies like this. ps read reviews on The Big Bounce before seeing it in theaters...terrible movie
Rating:
Summary: Comedy or tragedy?
Review: The movie begins with a cheerful French tune and Kate Hudson happily entering Paris. Throughout the movie, the use of colors is bright, the costumes are cheery, and the music is adorable. However, the plot is almost depressing, with a woman who is slighted, a child going to be born without a father, and another woman who is little more than a toy to another man. It particularily disturbed me to see the American man who was basically stalking Roxy. You keep waiting to laugh because of the tones of the set, the costumes, the music, but it only gets more and more sad. All in all, as long as you do not expect a light comedy, the film is worth seeing. The actors/actresses in the movie did a great job.
Rating:
Summary: C'est normal
Review: This movie was big on promise but really didn't live up to it's potential. A little humor would have been nice, just to keep the viewer's attention, but alas, there is none. The only thing they offer to keep the viewer's interest as the characters muddle through a lifeless story is the fantastic scenery of France, and a smattering of the language.
Rating:
Summary: Lacks the Parisian charm.
Review: I really wanted to see this movie because I love Paris and the French..but I found myself to be losing interest less than halfway through the movie. The Paris scenery is nice, yes..but the storyline lacked bite. I've seen French movies better than this one. I would rather watch French movies with English subtitles because I get more out of it that way. Kate Hudson is beautiful, but this movie didn't really give her justice. I couldn't believe when I got to the menu and there weren't any extras-not a one!! What a disappointment. Maybe you should rent this, but don't buy it.
Rating:
Summary: The Merchant Ivory Team finally misfires
Review: Over the years we have learned to expect films of great beauty, intelligence, style, and elegance from the entire team at Merchant Ivory. Why they chose this slight piece of fluff when they are used to illuminating EM Forster, Henry James, etc remains a mystery. Essentially this story is a battle of FrancoAmerican social amenities (or lack thereof) contrived over an abrupt divorce: French husband leaves pregnant American wife for a married lover and the ambiguites of French divorce proceedings conflict with American ones with a American owned French hierloom painting by La Tour as the dangling 'miscreant'. The script is poorly devised, though the idea of half of the film being democratically spoken in French has its merits. The cinematography is nice: when doesn't Paris look stunning? But the real jolt in this unsuccessful venture is the waste of using actors of the highest quality to try to make this fluff merit attention. Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts, Leslie Caron, Stockard Channing, Glenn Close, Stephen Fry, Sam Waterston, Thierry Lhermitte, Matthew Modine etc have the grace to seem serious about the project, but their performances are flat due primarily to the script, but also to the direction (or lack thereof). One is reminded of Robert Altman's films, casting 'stars' in minute moments just to validate an otherwise pallid project. Not a film to recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Not as Good As the Book
Review: Not as good as the book- but movies rarely are. I found this movie to be very entertaining and enjoyable. The rather sudden and inexplicable (in the movie, at least) transformation of Kate's character left my friends who had never read the book a bit confused, and they were also considerably less enchanted with the film as a whole than I was. I suggest anyone who wants to see this movie to read the book as well. The only problem I had with this movie was the ending. The most unrealistic incident that could ever happen- Who would EVER throw away an Hermes?!!
Rating: 
Summary: Good things about this movie
Review: Paris (and the scenes filmed outside the city) looked incredible. The movie is beautifully filmed as are all Merchant Ivory movies. The food, the architecture, it just pulls you in. The movie is based on a book that was written years ago and if you think of it like a modern day Jane Austen-style comedy of manners the slow-pacing makes more sense. In my opinion the book was incredibly slow as well. But in the end, I think both the book and movie are worth the time!
Rating:
Summary: Wasted use of unchallenged stars
Review: Take in the recent '21 Grams' and you'll realize that the very talented Naomi Watts isn't really being challenged at all here in Merchant-Ivory's "Le Divorce." And, as for Kate Hudson as Watts' half-sister, the best we can say is, yes, she does appear in the film. The production team also manages to completely underuse the potentially dynamic duo of Stockard Channing and Sam Waterson. These are two of their generation's finest talents, yet here they pop up in two-dimensional parents' roles. If replaced, no one would miss them. Same goes for Glenn Close. Imagine, these three stars together in a film and no one barely noticed. A shame. Other than Watts, the only two things worth noting: a) Thierry Lhermitte's excellent take as Watts' 'uncle' (in-law) Edgar Cosset (he looks and sounds great here, especially for those who haven't seen a lot of his previous work - *this* is a movie star). b) Matthew Modine - apparently no one got the word out to him that you weren't supposed to do serious acting in this film. He turns in a performance, and looks seriously out of place as a result.
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