Le divorce (2003)

French vs. American social customs and behaviors are observed in a story about an American visiting her Frenchman-wed sister in Paris.

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

Diane Johnson (novel), Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay),

Stars:

Kate Hudson, Jean-Marie Lhomme, Naomi Watts

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Hudson	...	Isabel Walker
Jean-Marie Lhomme	...	Immigration Officer
Naomi Watts	...	Roxeanne de Persand
Esmée Buchet-Deàk	...	Gennie de Persand
Jean-Jacques Pivert	...	Talkative Shopkeeper
Melvil Poupaud	...	Charles-Henri de Persand
Catherine Samie	...	Madame Florian
Samuel Labarthe	...	Antoine de Persand
Leslie Caron	...	Suzanne de Persand
Thierry Lhermitte	...	Edgar Cosset
Nathalie Richard	...	Charlotte de Persand
Samuel Gruen	...	de Persand Child
Peter Wyckoff	...	de Persand Child
Sandrel Lonnoy	...	Maid
Glenn Close	...	Olivia Pace

Storyline

French vs. American social customs and behaviors are observed in a story about an American visiting her Frenchman-wed sister in Paris.

---

Plot Keywords:

american | french | painting | puppy | murder | 

---

Taglines:

A comedy of manners...both good and bad.

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance | Comedy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight Pictures Merchant Ivory Production

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

29 August 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Divorcio a la francesa

Filming Locations:

Café de Flore - 172 boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris 6, Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$66,323 (South Africa) (12 December 2003)

Gross:

$66,323 (South Africa) (12 December 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Merchant Ivory Productions, Radar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The painting sold before Roxy's LaTour is Claude-Joseph Vernet's "La Nuit, au Port au Clair de Lune", which is in the Louvre's permanent collection.

---

Goofs

When Isabel and Roxy are walking towards the la Flore to meet Roxy's husband, Isabel's scarf is hanging from her pocket. When they walk into la Flore she is wearing it around her neck.

---

Quotes

[after seeing Isabel's new look at the airport]
Roger Walker: She looks like something out of "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!".

---

Connections

References Prêt-à-Porter (1994)

---

Soundtracks

"En relisant ta lettre"
Written by Serge Gainsbourg
Performed by Serge Gainsbourg
(c) Warner Chappell Music France
(p) 1961 Mercury (France)
With the permission of Universal Music Projets Spéciaux France

User Reviews

Merchant Ivory come up lame.

Have not read the novel, but the movie itself is slush (not having read the novel I can't say whether to blame the author).

Supposedly, the story explores the values gulf between America and France, with sex the American taboo and money the French taboo. Sadly, the greatest taboo in this movie is common sense, which seems trapped at the midpoint between the two, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, several miles beneath the surface at the base of the mid-Atlantic rift.

Every time we think something that makes less sense couldn't happen, it does. Characters act stupidly or self-destructively, doing the kind of nasty or narcissistic things that would make them the villain of most any other putative comedy of manners, only to have their clueless behavior transcended (to the downside) in the very next scene.

The only real surprise in the film is that it was made by the same folks who gave us "A Room With A View" and its distinguished successors. Here, that body of work culminates in an anticlimactic thud, as if obscurity were the thing the production team had been seeking to perfect. (Thank goodness they have another film coming out soon.) Rather than engaging the audience, "Le Divorce" is so absurd that about halfway through, it joins the group of films that are so bad you watch to the end just to hoot at the screen.

Our antipathy to the characters is particularly amazing because there is not a bad performance. Most of the excellent cast is quite good, and I was very happy to see Leslie Caron looking so beautiful and healthy. One gets the feeling the actors chose the project because it was a Merchant Ivory film. The only betrayal we end up caring about is that their faith led them here.

The film looks great, yet the script makes us groan. Other than the sister in law and the young daughter of the divorce of the title, the characters are archetypes. The most distinctive personality belongs to a handbag, and the rest of them become so annoying they seem to deserve what they get. The genuine tragedies -- we see them coming two miles away, not just one -- don't carry much impact because these so clearly aren't real people.

"Le Divorce" was meant to be funny, but it plays out as a 90-minute Seinfeld stripped of comedy or plot. The only laughs come from the predictability and unbelievability of events, and the degree to which we don't care about anyone they happen to. Merchant Ivory have, and will, do a lot better than this.