Films & Events
The Girl from Monaco
Initially a breezy screwball comedy in the classic French vein, Anne Fontaine’s latest film veers off into more dramatic territory in its second half. At first, The Girl From Monaco dazzles the audience with a star-studded French cast and, of course, a gorgeous setting. Bertrand is a successful Parisian lawyer who has come to the principality to defend a wealthy woman accused of murdering a man with alleged ties to the Russian mob. To ensure his safety, Bertrand is assigned a bodyguard, Christophe, to shadow him during the case. At first, Bertrand is annoyed by Christophe’s constant intrusion, but the two men eventually develop a kind of friendship. Things quickly change when Bertrand starts receiving overt carnal attention from a local TV-star hottie named Audrey—a free-spirited woman who once had a relationship with Christophe. Bertrand and Christophe’s relationship grows into something more than businesslike when Bertrand makes a sacrifice to aid his bodyguard. Director Fontaine takes the frothy romantic concerns of the movie’s setup and shifts them into darker territory as the main characters’ motivations and loyalties are called into question.
Sponsors:
Consulate General of France, San Francisco, TV5 Monde, W Seattle Hotel
Cast & Crew
Director: Anne Fontaine
Producer: Bruno Pésery, Philippe Carcassonne
Editor: Maryline Monthieux
Screenwriter: Anne Fontaine, Benoît Graffin
Cinematographer: Patrick Blossier
Music: Philippe Rombi
Principal Cast: Fabrice Luchini, Roschdy Zem, Louise Bourgoin, Stéphane Audran, Gilles Cohen
Filmography: Nouvelle Chance (2006); Entre ses mains (2005); Nathalie (2003); How I Killed My Father (2001); Dry Cleaning (1997)
World Sales: Pyramide International
Average rating:
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(3 reviews)
user reviews
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Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda ..., Jun 11, 2009
By Mimi Noyes
“From seeing the trailer, I had a theory of what this film was going to be about. I was wrong. What is unfortunate is that the movie that I imagined was better than the movie shown. Siiiiigh. What could have been, and should have been a clever, wicked, and twisty tale of deceit, revenge, and”
… full review
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I didn't buy it, Jun 13, 2009
By Zheng Wang
“From the technical side, this is a perfectly fine film. The problem is, I simply couldn't buy into the motivations and decisions of the main characters. In the great words of Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler, "Really??" If the film had a different cast and they approached the characters differently, I”
… full review
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I don't know what movie everyone else saw, Jun 14, 2009
By Spencer Tilger
“...but La Fille de Monaco was hilarious. The Stranger was right to put it on their "don't miss" list. All the performances were great and I was consistently laughing out loud the entire film. Plus it contains perhaps the truest form of a love triangle I have ever seen. Great black comedy.
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