Rating: 
Summary: MUST BUY!
Review: IT IS THE BEST MOVIE OF MS. SWANK.
A VERY BEAUTIFUL MOVIE.
BETTER THAN BOYS DON'T CRY.
THE BEST MOVIE OF 2001.
Rating: 
Summary: Some miscasting; wrong director; too American
Review: Much as I loved Hillary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry", she should not have been cast in this movie. She's too contemporary, too American, and not believable as a scheming, manipulative social climber.Christopher Walken has a Gary Oldman hairdo, and a strange role. He also is miscast. The film is beautifully shot, the costumes are gorgeous, but the uneven accents and inconsistent performances are annoying.
Rating:
Summary: Some miscasting; wrong director; too American
Review: Much as I loved Hillary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry", she should not have been cast in this movie. She's too contemporary, too American, and not believable as a scheming, manipulative social climber. Christopher Walken has a Gary Oldman hairdo, and a strange role. He also is miscast. The film is beautifully shot, the costumes are gorgeous, but the uneven accents and inconsistent performances are annoying.
Rating:
Summary: ...this CHOKER is WILD!
Review: Now, let us see WHEN last did we have so many magnificent bodies on screen?
There's the VERY, VERY talented Miss Hilary Swank, Joley Richardson [real blue blood]; Adrian Brody and not forgetting Simon Baker. Oh, this is a delightful and very moving Comedy of Errors - true, based on fact - simply about Miss-communication. OH, if only they had e-mail back then. AND this one really cost poor Marie her head, and no one really won anything - just goes to show - keep ya mouth shut! Visually? Magnificently realized Art direction and Genius Costume Design by MILENA CANONERO - Miss Canonero's featurette is priceless - great 'word-choices'! SEE this one back-to-back with "La Nuit de Varnnes". "Quills" and "Dangerous Liasons" - it is very worthy. Performances? Jonathan Pryce as the infatuated Cardinal is so evil, but so pathetic [and so contemporary]; Christopher Walker - well! [This one you gotta see! and NO Mr. Walken does not do the 'usual creepy crazy'] JOLEY RICHARDSON? - Magnificent as the much-maligned Marie Antoinette, another visual treat so perfectly captured in this version. Miss Richardson needs more and more cinematic exposure - a Great Talent. BUT Miss HILARY SWANK? Oh please - what cannot she do? This is an exceptionally talented lady - stay tuned - she's just beginning! Where are the AWARDS due? This one WILL stand the test of time.
Rating: 
Summary: The Shadow of the Necklace........
Review: One not so very special saturday morning, I decided to watch this movie since it was about to start on HBO. And on this not so very special saturday morning, I was sucked into this not so very special movie. Perhaps it was the haughty elegance of this period in time that made me watch this movie from start to finish. Maybe it was the dashing Simon Baker, or the intriging Adrien Brody. It was certainly not, I assure you, because of Hillary Swank. Perhaps that isn't fair of me. After all, it would be a hard task to make such a controversial and not very admirable person in history someone you can be empathetic towards. For my part, I felt that Swank's character was not fiery enough to like, not pathetic enough to feel sorry for, and certainly not emotional enough to feel sad for. As for Simon Baker; one moment, a flirtatious gigalo who helps Swank through her scandalous plan. The next moment, he's a romantic hero sacrificing everything in the name of love. And Adrien Brody, an almost comical character that is vengeful and then willing to join the scandal about, oh, five seconds later. Marie Antoinette's protrail was well done, but suprisingly, not a key factor in the overall plotline. Why? As a whole the cast did a good job considering the script was dry and didn't give much for character devolpment. The costuming was superb, the acting splendid at parts and drab at others, the truth bent and curled in hollywood's image. Overall, this is the perfect Blockbuster rental, but certainly not the perfect anything else.
Rating:
Summary: Not too bad
Review: She's in court after the strong murdered her father for the loud thoughts he had about poor people and now the only thing she cares about is to get a good name for her family back. The Queen should be the only person who would have helped her but how is she going to eliminate all the obstacles in order to get her to the queen. An interesting (extremely boring for some) drama.
Rating:
Summary: Old-fashioned costume drama, and great fun,
Review: so long as you leave your mind in low gear I suppose. Its relationship to historical events is assuredly scanty at best, but who cares? If you are a costume drama/historical period aficianado, you will enjoy. And its three stars must be three of the best looking people on the planet, especially encostumed in the French style. Hilary Swank is a babe, dressed to the nines in ruffles and flourishes, with lots of great cleavage; Simon Baker was seemingly born with a head just made for the modeling of 18th century French haberdashery; and Adrien Brody, known to most of us for his Oscar-winning performance as an emaciated Polish pianist fleeing from the Nazis, spends this movie showing off a suprisingly muscular, hairy chest. And he looks great in those long tresses! Jonathan Pryce is a pro and knocks off the role of the corrupt, sensual Cardinal with aplomb. The plot admittedly requires one muster a larger measure of that "willing suspension of disbelief" than a serious movie should; but take it as a feast for the eyes---gorgeous settings, costumes and actors and you should find two hours of harmless pleasure here. This movie is a beauty without brains, but one is not always in the mood for French existentialism.
Rating: 
Summary: L'Affaire du Collier
Review: The Affair of the Necklace is an entertaining and lavish retelling of the infamous scandal, in the years just prior to the outbreak of the French Revolution, that invloved a disgraced countess, a lecherous cardinal, the Queen of France, and a fabulous diamond necklace. Hillary Swank plays the Comtesse de la Motte Valois, the daughter of a disgraced and murdered nobleman who is obsessed with reclaiming her title and her lands. Though married to a rakish philanderer, she falls in with a handsome though disreputable courtier named Rateux de Villet and the two hatch a ploy to use the rich and influential cardinal Rohan to buy the necklace, supposedly for Marie Antoinette, but in reality so that the Comtesse can use the diamonds to buy back her estate and reinstate her family's reputation. Once the cardinal realizes he has been duped he sets out to bring down the conspirators, but before he can, he himself is accused of complicity in the affair, along with his shady and mysterious "mystic" advisor Count Cagliostro, played by an outrageously wonderful Christopher Walken. The ensuing scandal enflames the country as the public, already resentful of the extravagance and indifference of the aristocracy, blame the ostentaciously elegant Antoinette as the true architect of the affair. The resulting backlash over the scandal helps to ingnite the Revolution and sends Antoinette and Louis XVI to the guillotine. The Affair of the Necklace has its faults, but overall it is engaging and beautifully filmed, with sumptuous costumes and lavish sets. Swank is a little out of her element as the noble Comtesse, but even her American accent and sometimes cheesy dialogue can be overlooked. Walken is over-the-top but enjoyable as the charlatan seer Cagliostro, Jonathan Pryce is excellent as the sleazy cardinal Rohan, and Joley Richardson gives a good performance in her role as Marie Antoinette. This is an enjoyable piece of historic drama.
Rating:
Summary: The straw that broke the camels back.....
Review: The Affair of the Necklace' chronicles the attempt of 18th century Jeanne Valois to reclaim the estate and good name of her family after its seizure by the pre-revolution French crown. This is supose to be the affair which precipitated the fall of Marie Antoinette. And the scenes of the infamous Cagliostro, the legendary sooth sayer/wizard of the times, who helps Jeanne Valois maneuver so that she can her family estates and titles. The famous 2800 carat necklace that was the center of the controversy between the Queen and Cardinal Rohan. The based on a true story...and fun to watch. The script could have easily been written to a higher standard. Though you can see that no expenses was spared in the costumes. Still, there are some intriguing moments in the film. And it did peak my interest to look more into the period. So what more can you ask. Fun to watch, some what historical and interesting enough to make you want to look further.
Rating:
Summary: A Lush Feel
Review: The movie is based on the real-life story of Jeanne de la Motte-Valois. She is a woman who is driven to claim her family's heritage and bring back honor to their name and legacy. Ms. Swanks portrayl of her is done with a tone of sadness. She is seen as an abandoned child who terribly misses her father. Her father according to the history of this movie, was a good man and wanted fairness given to all people, this was in opposition to the ruling royalaty. This outspokeness and rebellion brought about the death of her parents and Jeanne's happiness was roughly snatched away. Her deviousness comes from her need to gain back what has been taken from her. The deviousness is not seen in a negative light but as a strong desire to create right in a world that has taken all that was good and meaningful. This might be and this might not be. Since I do not know much on Jeanne, I just enjoyed the lush sweep and flow of this dramatic period piece. I thought Swank did a good job of acting. She had a slow, creative sway to her movement and her speaking patterns. I also liked the sparkle of the supporting cast. I thought this movie was going to be poor, based on some reviews I had read, but I was quite pleased that I rented this movie. It is filmed with rich colors, pleasing intrique and sparkling wit. The history may differ or it may not, but I liked the art style of this film Lisa Nary
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