Diagonaldi Very well executed

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Nelson Strang Really difficult to care about super-rich people maybe having to pay a little tax. Not worth watching. Feels like it belongs in a box set with Natalie Portman doing Jackie and Naomi Watts doing Diana - all of them utterly mediocre.

TheLittleSongbird Despite the negative reviews, this reviewer saw 'Grace of Monaco' because of its subject matter, Grace Kelly being one of the most naturally beautiful and full-of-depth-and-grace classic film stars, and because Nicole Kidman has given a lot of good performances in her career.Unfortunately 'Grace of Monaco' disappointed heavily. There are some great biopics around ('Amadeus' and 'The Elephant Man' being prime examples') but also some naff ones. While not quite as poor as 'Diana' or 'William and Kate', films with much worse editing and feel far more like Lifetime projects, 'Grace of Monaco' is one of the naff ones if not entirely without honour.The best thing about 'Grace of Monaco' is the production values, the sumptuous costumes, sets and scenery looking absolutely breath-taking often. The film is very nicely shot too, though it's not without its dizzying or pedestrian moments in the editing.It is agreed that Nicole Kidman is miscast, which will be and has been a turn-off for most, being at least a decade too old, four inches too tall (Kelly was tall but not as much as Kidman who is one of the tallest actresses in Hollywood) and not as natural a beauty as evident in some stiff and plastic facial expressions. However, it is whether she gave a good enough performance despite the miscasting that matters, and Kidman actually gives a very committed performance, that's charismatic and deeply felt too. The other good performance is the gleefully enjoyable Hitchcock of Roger Ashton-Griffiths, who does try to bring needed urgency to the proceedings, the culminating banquet actually being the film's dramatic highlight.However, Tim Roth is too archetypal and too much of a dork as Rainier, while Robert Lindsay plays his very roughly drawn character too broadly and Derek Jacobi and particularly Frank Langella are wasted. There are some odd accents going on as well, as well as a lack of chemistry, and the characters are bland or annoying stereotypes, some not feeling relevant to the story and are as plastic as Kidman's Botox.Faring worst are the very empty and half-baked script that sounds like soap opera past its sell by date, an overwrought and over-bearing music score that is too reminiscent of a comedy or a heavy-handed drama and the direction which sees violent and frequently jarring shifts in tone that suggests that those responsible had no idea what the film was trying to be or what to focus on. The story tries to be careful not to offend, but ends up being dull, dramatically soggy and laughably ridiculous with an overlong running time that makes some of the story feel stretched.Overall, hugely disappointing, looks good and Kidman's performance is committed but what gives a film weight, depth and staying power is lost in translation. 3/10 Bethany Cox

2jdv This film purports to be about a "moment in time" and based on "historical events" about Grace Kelly as Princess of Monaco, and it is an utter fabrication from beginning to end. Which would be fine as an imagining but it pretends to be a biopic, and it isn't. It is utterly inaccurate about Grace Kelly herself and the events it presents. It is demeaning both to her and to the history it misportrays. The writer and director obviously have no sense of shame whatsoever and did this film only with an eye on the buck they could make by cashing in on her fame. Fortunately, they lost their shirts on this turkey. Yes, Nicole Kidman and Tim Roth and Frank Angella, as always, did their best and were great. But they were horribly deceived about what this film would be. I think it's fun to reimagine history, but not when you pretend it's fact and completely misrepresent the truth. This film is a travesty of film-making, and a lesson in deception that film-makers should pay attention to. Making fools of us is not fun, or even, in this case, profitable.

Love_Life_Laughter No one who watched Grace Kelly's life unfold could question, seeing the expression in her eyes, that she paid a large price for her ascent to royalty. While this movie is dissed roundly, it is often dissed roundly by men, who focus on the historical details (evidently not accurate down to the letter, while I would guess these same men would overlook similar literary license in say, "The Bridge over the River Kwai.") But this is about a woman who had risen to the height of power in Hollywood, and gave it all up for her family and husband. It is very clear that the Monegasques held her hostage, for so shining an actress would clearly step away from her source of creativity and power (financial, creative, you name it) only when forced. I personally have often wondered if Grace's family, with it's famous athleticism and competitiveness, forced her to a height of so-called "achievement" with a brand of snobbery and narrow-mindedness that overlooked her incredible acting talents and achievements in favor of a traditional role - "snaring" the world's greatest single man "catch" of the time- which of course turned into a nightmare. That is what is strongly implied here and this is a wonderful movie of discovery - watching Grace understand that her life is now a permanent movie role, ultimately her acting ability being used to place Monaco on the world stage. Whether or not Grace was instrumental in somehow saving Monaco from French aggression, this emotional journey rings true. It is the story, really, of every woman who either chooses to or is forced to subsume her own worldly ambitions for home and family, and the price that she pays. A price that men often cannot even recognize, even in the movies. Bravo to Nicole Kidman for this sensitive portrayal of the princess held captive in her castle, choked by her diamonds and weighted by her tiara. Keep them (the men desiring to lock us women up, breeding and smiling) squirming!