"The Affair of the Necklace" has to be viewed with a generous suspension of disbelief, or with one's forehead protected for a lot of flat-palming. Ninette's final, "If I reached for anything that shown brightly..." speech- which is a bit too Shirley Temple for the rest of the movie- actually diminishes our sympathies for her and cuts the film's last thread of realism. Marie Antoinette's sub-guillotine, "well, maybe I was a bit excessive," flashback, is also a little inexplicable given the modern frame of the movie. Only on Google groups does one still find such negative and simplistic representations of her. And Louis XVI was more fully encompassed in "Start the Revolution Without Me".

The scenery, however, especially at Versailles, is fantastic and- though I have doubts about the wisdom of Swank's "Annie"-style hair on the cover (given her character's orphaned status)- the movie generally fits in well with other flawless, high-end costume dramas. If it hadn't been "based on true events," a tag which subjects a movie to a greater deal of scrutiny than most can stand, I would have thought this one much stronger than it was.

In the end, Pryce, Brody, and Walken do save the movie from itself, and generally make it an entertaining, if not accurate, weekend rental. As an addition to one's video library, however, it is best passed on.

TAKE HILARY TO THE PILLORY... (Rating: 3.00)
Review : This film is loosely based upon a true story. While Queen Marie Antoinette of France still held on to her head, she became embroiled in a scandal over a necklace. The scandal, in fact, contributed to the rise of the French Revolution and the demise of the monarchy in France.

The leading jewelers of the day, Charles Boehmer and Paul Bassenge, had wanted Marie Antoinette to buy an elaborate and very expensive, multi-looped diamond necklace, weighing approximately 2800 carats. This necklace, which had six hundred and forty seven diamonds, had purportedly been designed for Madame Du Barry, the mistress of Marie Antoinette's father-in-law, the late King Louis XV, and a woman she despised. Marie Antoinette was not at all interested in this necklace and made herself quite clear to the somewhat desperate jewelers, who had invested much of their capital in this necklace.

In the film, a young woman, Jeanne St. Remy de Valois (Hilary Swank), who called herself a Countess by virtue of her marriage of convenience to a certain rake, Nicolas de La Motte (Adrien Brody), wanted to get back her father's estates, which had been taken by the crown after he had been, she believed, wrongfully executed for his perceived political beliefs. She was obsessed with righting this wrong and regaining her family's lost honor.

When she was unable to secure that which she so desired, she took up with a court gigolo, Retaux de Vilette (Simon Baker). With his assistance, she concocted an elaborate scheme, rife with political intrigues, and secured possession of the notorious diamond necklace under the ostensible color of Queen Marie Antoinette's authority. This theft ultimately came to light, and she and her cohorts were arrested in this matter, although the necklace was never recovered. This would lead to a sensational trial, because her accused accomplice in the matter was none other than Cardinal Louis Constantin de Rohan (Jonathan Pryce), a prince of France.

The film, woodenly directed by Charles Shyer, centers around the character, Jeanne. Unfortunately, Hilary Swank is unable to carry the day. Her portrayal of Jeanne is one dimensional. She also seques back and forth between her obvious American accent and a pseudo-British one. To sum up her performance in a nutshell, it is sub-par. An otherwise excellent actress, she is simply out her element in this period film, because she is unable to overcome her contemporary veneer.

Of course, as she is the centerpiece of the film and fails, so does the film, no matter how well meaning the endeavor. Of course, she had help, as the script has its problems. There is very little tension for a film that is about one of the greatest thefts ever conceived. Not even the delicious performance of Jonathan Pryce, as the dissolute Cardinal de Rohan, can overcome some of the fundamental flaws in this film. Still, there are some intriguing moments in the film, and those who enjoy period pieces and historical dramas may get a modicum of enjoyment viewing it.

Not too bad (Rating: 3.00)
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.

A Masterpiece (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This is one of the most historically accurate movies that I have ever seen. This movie is about the scandal that rocked the French monarchy during the late 1780's and helped set the stage for the French Revolution that overthrew the monarchy.

Hilary Swank delivers a superb performance as the scheming Jeanne de la Motte-Valois. Jonathan Pryce and Christopher Walken also shine in this well executed movie.

The Affair of the Necklace is a movie that combines greed, lust, corruption and sexuality in a most beguiling mix. This movie is the end result of a rare combination of quality acting, distinguished directing, skillful script writing, a large budget and careful attention to historical accuracy in every detail.

The Affair of the Necklace is a masterpiece.

A true art of intrigue (Rating: 4.00)
Review : Despite the mixed reviews, after about 20 minutes, I began to enjoy this movie. It is more than it appears at first. It truly is an affair, because people are getting tricked and maneuvered, it has intrigue that unfolded lovely, having been placed right before the French Revolution.

Hilary Swank, although not my top choice for a costume drama, does a good job of playing Jeanne de la Motte-Valois, a woman who lost her parents and her title at a young age. With the help of a court women-chaser, Baker, she uses the Cardinal's desire for Marie Antoinette, and the luxurious diamond necklace that comes into place, to get what she wants.

As lies are told, and people pretending to be someone else, the grand plot begins to resemble a tower of playing cards that can topple at any moment.

It was a wonderful movie, that felt cozy, and it was almost like a mystery drama, in beautiful lavish costumes. The ending is great, and unexpected for some characters.