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IMDbPro

The Affair of the Necklace

  • 20012001
  • RR
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
5.4K
YOUR RATING
Hilary Swank in The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
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.
Play trailer2:08
1 Video
26 Photos
DramaHistoryRomance
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 neckla... Read allIn 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.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.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
5.4K
YOUR RATING
    • Charles Shyer
    • John Sweet
  • Stars
    • Hilary Swank
    • Simon Baker
    • Jonathan Pryce
    • Charles Shyer
    • John Sweet
  • Stars
    • Hilary Swank
    • Simon Baker
    • Jonathan Pryce
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 67User reviews
    • 49Critic reviews
    • 42Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:08
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos26

    Christopher Walken in The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    Hilary Swank in The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    Hilary Swank and Simon Baker in The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    Hilary Swank in The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    Adrien Brody, Hilary Swank, and Simon Baker in The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    Jonathan Pryce and Hilary Swank in The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    Adrien Brody and Hilary Swank in The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
    The Affair of the Necklace (2001)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Hilary Swank
    Hilary Swank
    • Jeanne St. Remy de Valois
    Simon Baker
    Simon Baker
    • Rétaux de Vilette
    Jonathan Pryce
    Jonathan Pryce
    • Cardinal Louis de Rohan
    Adrien Brody
    Adrien Brody
    • Nicolas De La Motte
    Brian Cox
    Brian Cox
    • Minister Breteuil
    Joely Richardson
    Joely Richardson
    • Marie-Antoinette
    Christopher Walken
    Christopher Walken
    • Count Cagliostro
    Hayden Panettiere
    Hayden Panettiere
    • Young Jeanne
    Simon Kunz
    Simon Kunz
    • Minister of Titles
    Paul Brooke
    Paul Brooke
    • Monsieur Bohmer
    Peter Eyre
    Peter Eyre
    • Monsieur Bassenge
    Frank McCusker
    Frank McCusker
    • Abel Duphot
    Simon Shackleton
    • Louis XVI
    Hermione Gulliford
    Hermione Gulliford
    • Nicole Leguay d'Oliva
    Geoffrey Hutchings
    Geoffrey Hutchings
    • President D'Aligre
    James Vaughan
    • Magistrate Titon
    Jonathan Newth
    Jonathan Newth
    • Magistrate de Marce
    Kristina Bill
    • Irène de Valois
      • Charles Shyer
      • John Sweet
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      The mansion shown belonging to the Cardinal Louis de Rohan is actually the Chateau de Vaux-Le-Vicomte, built between 1658 and 1661 for Nicolas Fouquet, Marquis de Belle Île, Viscount of Melun and Vaux, the superintendent of finances to Louis XIV. To ensure there was enough room for the Chateau and the planned gardens, three villages were bought and demolished. Fouquet was unfortunetly not able to enjoy the property for very long. In August of 1661, a few days after a ball, to which Lous XIV was invited, to celebrate the completion of the Chateau, the King had Fouquet arrested, charged with misappropriation of public funds, to pay for the lavish estate's construction. Fouquet was imprisoned for life, and his wife exiled. The King bought or confiscated many of the furnishings and works of art on the property, and hired the team responsible for its construction to design and build the Palace of Versailles. The property was returned to Madame Fouquet in the mid 1670s. The Chateau was never the property of the Cardinal, nor did he ever live there. In 1705, shortly after the death of her husband and son, Madame Fouquet sold the Chateau to the Marshall Villars, one of Louis XIV's most trusted Generals. He bought it sight unseen. His son would sell the property to the Duke de Praslin in 1764, and his descendants kept the property for over one hundred years. It was eventually bought, in a sad state of disrepairs, and with the gardens overgrown, and uncared for, by the Sommier family, who restored the gardens and the Chateau. The Sommier still own Vaux-le-Vicomte, and the Chateau is now open to the public. The Chateau has cropped up frequently in movies and television shows, most memorably as the home "rebuilt stone by stone in California" by the villain Drax in the James Bond film Moonraker (1979).
    • Quotes

      [Nicolas, lying on a table in pain as a doctor tries removes the bullet from his behind]

      Count Nicolas De La Motte: Goddamn! Goddamn! Are you digging for potatoes? Go easy!

      Dr. Legear: I did not tell how to get this projectile where it is! Do not presume to tell me how to get it out!

      [takes swig of drink and goes back to work]

    • Connections
      Featured in HBO First Look: 'The Affair of the Necklace': The Making of a Scandal (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Movement I: Mercy
      Written by Alanis Morissette & Jonathan Elias

      Performed by Alanis Morissette & Salif Keïta

      Courtesy of Sony Classical, A Division of Sony Music Entertainment, Inc.

    User reviews67

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    A Good Movie That Could Have Been Great
    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.
    helpful•15
    3
    • classicalsteve
    • Nov 26, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 7, 2001 (United States)
      • United States
      • Warner Bros.
      • Warner Bros. Awards Site - trailer, screenings (United States)
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Prague, Czech Republic
    • Production company
      • Alcon Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 58 minutes
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS

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