Review: Monte Carlo (2011)

Directed by: Thomas Bezucha | 109 minutes | comedy, adventure, romance | Actors: Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Cory Monteith, Katie Cassidy, Andie MacDowell, Brett Cullen, Catherine Tate, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, Luke Bracey, Pierre Boulanger, Valérie Lemercier, Elena Beuca, George Mendel, Joël Lefrançois

“Monte Carlo” is about eighteen-year-old Grace (Selena Gomez). The recently graduated student has been saving for years for her dream: the ultimate city trip Paris in her eyes. Her friend and colleague Emma (Katie Cassidy) – Grace works as a waitress in her spare time – will join her. Grace’s mother (Andie McDowell) has had a new boyfriend, Robert (Brett Cullen) for some time now. To help Grace and her stepsister, Robert’s daughter Meg (Leighton Meester), bond, the two parents have decided that quiet and sensible Meg should go to Paris to keep an eye on things. Although the three ladies in question don’t like this at all – Meg still knows Emma from school and the two twenties are as different as can be – there is no other option but to accept it.

Once in “The City of Lights” (renamed “The City of Love” by blonde Emma), Grace is determined to make the most of it. The constant bickering of Meg and Emma tries to ignore them, but when the annoying guide, who guides the group at the speed of the Thalys, past all the sights; they miss the bus because they enjoy the view from the Eiffel Tower for a moment and then they are drenched by a Parisian downpour, something breaks inside her. In the public toilets of a luxurious hotel, she decides to dry herself for a while, but that is precisely the hotel where the famous and insufferable British socialite Cordelia Winthrop Scott has reserved a room. Cordelia and Grace appear to look like two drops of water and due to a combination of circumstances, Grace is mistaken by the hotel staff for the wealthy heiress. Before they realize what is actually going on, the trio finds themselves on a plane bound for Monte Carlo, where “Cordelia” is expected to attend a benefit event for poor Romanian children.

“Monte Carlo” is a great film if you want to escape your everyday world for a while. The fairytale, very sweet adventures of the three American girls, while very far-fetched, are quite entertaining. Selena Gomez is a perfect choice for the role of the positive, amiable Grace. She is also doing fine in her double role. The two other roles are also adequately performed: both Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy take the audience, with Cassidy in particular standing out positively. Although the scenario does not excel in originality, it is nice that the different plot lines are so balanced. Of course, both the reserved Meg and the protagonist Grace get a lot of love troubles on their plate and for Emma, ​​who is already with a friend, there is a lot to experience in the romantic area. What doesn’t work out so well is the unnecessary storyline about the missing necklace worth millions. However, that doesn’t matter very much. “Monte Carlo” does what it promises and will appeal to the target group. Do you like movies like “The Princess Diaries”, “Wild Child” and “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”? Then you are in the right place at “Monte Carlo”.