MovieChat Forums > Le divorce (2003) Discussion > Why I think this film is hated

Why I think this film is hated

posted 19 years ago by okolomo
30 replies | jump to latest

Its not that it was a bad film, its just that is was passed off as something it wasnt. I rented this movie as I was in the mood for a bright and breezy romantic comedy. I spent the first half of the movie waiting for the fun to begin. It soon became clear this was not going to happen when the Naomi Watts character attempted suicide and later when the cuckolded guy shot her husband. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that is not 'bright and breezy' in the least.

If it had been marketed as a drama about french and american manners and the pain, happiness and confusion of love, people wouldnt hate it so much. If you wanted to see a comedy like Some Like it Hot, but got Battleship Potemkin instead,you'd think it was pretty crap too (though it isn't).

The scenery and the cinematography were beautiful, Its just a shame the distributors felt the need to squeeze a square into a triangular shaped hole.

[–] MoonsofJupiter 19 years ago

Well, you're right that it was totally mismarketed, but that's not why people don't like it. I don't agree that it was really a drama about American and French manners. It was an unholy mess that tried to combine romance, suspense, art and some stereotypes about the French. It was poorly done, jumping from Kate Hudson pursuing a married man old enough to be her father to some painting the divorced couple are fighting over to the way women tie their scarves over there to Matthew Modine going postal because his alien wife left him. Nothing hung together and it all ended too neatly.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] AND77 19 years ago

Like the first poster, I really liked this movie, but can see why it didn't do well. There is no way to market a film like this.
I will agree with the person who mentioned the French stereotypes, though. The French people we get to see are Roxy's cold, flat husband who leaves her for no reason, his money-grubbing, snotty family, and Uncle Edgar, who is a total opportunist.
The Americans come off as being mostly kind and sincere (Isabelle and Roxy's parents), a little nutty but sweet (Roxy and Isabelle), and fairly wise (Olivia Pace).
As an American who briefly visited France and experienced nothing but kindness and helpfulness, I was disappointed to see the French portrayed this way.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] aqueousrib 19 years ago

I really thought this movie was going to be a romantic comedy. It was very misportrayed

If you just hold on... for one more day

[–] dani0107 17 years ago

wow! kind and helpful?! which France did you visit?

[–] spark20 17 years ago

I've visited France many times, and of course I'm biased because my family is always helpful to others (probably because they have our small part of the family living in America, sot hey understand)...there have been many times that I'm in Paris, and I see many kind Parisians helping out American tourists.

And I've also dealt with many kind people in random shops throughout the city, and also in small towns in the Loire Valley...

[–] dani0107 17 years ago

i was kidding...

but how's this for an anecdote,

my aunt was in brittany a couple of years back looking for this village (and it was REALLY HARD to find, i ended up spending a night sleeping in the car because i couldn't find it and it was about 3 am so there was no-one around to ask). anyhow, she pulled up to ask for directions and the french guy, noticing the accent, excitedly goes, 'oh are you irish?'
my aunt: no, sorry
slightly dissappointed french guy: 'oh, well how about scottish?'
My aunt: no, sorry
french guy, hopefully: 'welsh?'
my aunt: 'no, sorry, we're english'
french guy shakes his head and walks away without another word.

to be fair, most of my family have lived in france at some time or other and that's just one bad experience. well, then there's my french exchange, which was a whole other bad experience but i guess there may be some 'kind and helpful' french people out there... somewhere. Actually, they're great hosts, i just don't ever like asking them for directions.

[–] ckc316 15 years ago

Yeah but that same could easily be said for Americans, English, Irish, German, Italian - anything. People will be people, regardless of where you go. It just so happens that certain countries get stuck with that stigma.

There are always going to be the random jackass that would do something like that, but there are often people who are completely lovely. I'm American and have been to France twice, and each time everyone was fantastic, and both times I went was at the height of hatred for America. I remember our tour guide told us to say we were Canadian instead, which no one did, much to her dismay. But it didn't matter. We never had problems.

It may have helped that we were obviously students, and we were from CA. Apparently CA is cool over there, mainly because Arnold is our governor... they loved that.

[–] Thomas-White2 15 years ago

What's wrong with having multiple plot lines? How else are you going to handle them but moving from one to the other? And how can you say in the same sentence that nothing hung together and it all ended neatly (too neatly, yes, but neat is neat). I think the movie was very well done. I'd be interested to hear your views on the comment I left for it. Thanks for stating your opinion, by the way!

[–] Blueghost 17 years ago

No. You're wrong.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117921388.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0

[–] spark20 17 years ago

Wow...you just convinced me with your VERY educated sounding statement.

Care to elaborate?

[–] Blueghost 17 years ago

What would you like to know?

Check my previous posts on the Le Divorce BBS.

[–] Mylobage 17 years ago

Blue what do u do for a living

" Death is my future and to escape it I must Face it"

[–] Blueghost 17 years ago

You're going to make some point by counterposing my occupation with what you know or believe you understand about France, Europe and the world en large.

Aside from being a victim of fraud I tend not to give out personal information on a BBS with such a high volume of traffic. Nevertheless, you should know that at one time I did work for several years in the motion picture and video production industries, as well as general multimedia.

Additionally, I've worked and have met people (and have studied with) people from all walks of life and from all over the world.

So go ahead. Give me your best shot. What do you want to say or know from me?

[–] Mylobage 17 years ago

I wanted to know what you did you stupid *beep* You think your smart trying to over analys a simple question such as What do you do for a living. Hate to break it to you your WRONG there is no hidden agenda behind my question. Now you can relax those up tight shoulders and put down your guard you over zealous fool. My question had noting to do with this thread I was trying to confirm of expose something freak.

" Death is my future and to escape it I must Face it"

[–] Blueghost 17 years ago

Which is why you reacted the way you did :-)

[–] Mylobage 17 years ago

I acted the way i did because of the way u stated your post on how I was trying to disprove your theory and that i shoud "tale my best shot" LOL. I dont give a rats ass about whats on this thread my question was lagit. You have serious issues and your paranoid.

" Death is my future and to escape it I must Face it"

[–] All_Eyez_On_Me 17 years ago

"i was kidding...

but how's this for an anecdote,

my aunt was in brittany a couple of years back looking for this village (and it was REALLY HARD to find, i ended up spending a night sleeping in the car because i couldn't find it and it was about 3 am so there was no-one around to ask). anyhow, she pulled up to ask for directions and the french guy, noticing the accent, excitedly goes, 'oh are you irish?'
my aunt: no, sorry
slightly dissappointed french guy: 'oh, well how about scottish?'
My aunt: no, sorry
french guy, hopefully: 'welsh?'
my aunt: 'no, sorry, we're english'
french guy shakes his head and walks away without another word.

to be fair, most of my family have lived in france at some time or other and that's just one bad experience. well, then there's my french exchange, which was a whole other bad experience but i guess there may be some 'kind and helpful' french people out there... somewhere. Actually, they're great hosts, i just don't ever like asking them for directions. "

Brittany and England seem to have a strange relationship, since they are so close to each other (my grandfather is from Bretagne, but my mother and everyone else considers themselves Parisien). I am sorry about her encounter, but like...95% are nice.

I have a VERY similar situation to Spark, and know what he's saying. I do also find Parisiens to be very accepting and nice. Much more than in Texas...

[–] Blueghost 10 years ago

by Mylobage » Wed Dec 6 2006 11:34:36
IMDb member since May 2005
I acted the way i did because of the way u stated your post on how I was trying to disprove your theory and that i shoud "tale my best shot" LOL. I dont give a rats ass about whats on this thread my question was lagit. You have serious issues and your paranoid.

" Death is my future and to escape it I must Face it"

Well then why the hell did you ask in the first place?

QED

I've done camera work, been an AD, stage manager, associate producer, grip, and a few other things. I even write screenplays.

With all that in mind the film was condescending because it told a French perspective on American boorishness, and the one American character who was angry was shown to be what the French call a "Sot". He went mad, tried to shoot a few people, and finally got brushed off the stage.

It's a film targeted at Americans showing the French side of the Atlantic equation. The French believe in affairs, the French believe in their artistic and intellectual superiority, even though historically they're the cause of most wars and our current International Relations fiascos (incoluding a little foray known as "The Vietnam War"), and believe that their overall culture is better than ours.

Also, the French take in criminals of all nations who are willing to serve in their military, and put them into the "Foreign Legion". And, on top of that, let in North African radical islamists into their nation, the most sexually liberal nation allowing the most conservative religious culture that puts bible thumping White Anglo Saxons in North America to shame.

AND, on top of that, in spite of helping Saddam Hussein build a nuclear power plant (which Isreal had to take out in the late 80s), the French themselves are absolutely the most rude people on the face of the Earth.

No doubt I will experience tomorrow and for the rest of the week, rude French people at the behest of some influential cinema types. Rest assured, I am not happy with my continued mocking of what I post in real life, and those individuals will pay.

But, I hope that answers your nearly ten year old question.

Maybe you ought to read a little history before inserting your foot into your mouth.

[–] ryblack5 17 years ago

I watch this movie, first and foremost, to see the gorgeous Kate Hudson. Apart from her place in the film, I think it's just a movie about Rich *beep* white people. To be able to 'summer' anywhere in Europe or elsewhere internationally is a lower-Middle class American's Wet Dream.

My Opinion

[–] Flagler_88 16 years ago

I can't say I got the feeling the French were rude in this film, just Roxanne's in laws. The older woman is very nice as are all the people in the shops and restaurants.

I watched this film not expecting much, it is just an enjoyable movie to me pure and simple.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] soybean1895 16 years ago

I think it was just misunderstood. It's such a shame the DVD wasn't released with some sort of behind the scenes or director's voiceover options. It was very beautiful, with fantastic scenery and Ivory/Merchant (well just Ivory) no less and no background on the filming, why??

If you have never lived in France for a prolonged period of time, you will most likely not understand the references this film makes (the bobo family of a poet and a painter, the aristocratic BCBG world, the petite noblesse with their particule and country house, the Kelly bag, the tea, the little ambulances, Americans obsession with therapy (Isabel: "If you go to America they'll just ask for a mental evaluation." Tellman: "I really need to see a therapist!") etc). That makes it a lot more difficult to connect to the film and for certain situations to resonate.

And more importantly, this film is in no way a representation of Paris and even less of France as a whole. Had one read the book before seeing the movie, it's very clear that the author's whole oeuvre focuses on the (mis)adventures of young, beautiful Americans and sophisticated, wealthy French people; a very small portion of Parisian society. Not an accurate portrayal of Paris as a whole.

In fact, I found the movie far, far better than the book which I found darker and disjointed. The movie was more light-hearted (hello, there's a flying Kelly bag that floats over Paris!).

[–] sergia79 15 years ago

Well, I'm sure most people watched this hoping to be entertained by a light-hearted and funny romantic comedy and were confused for the majority of the screening. I definitely didn't find this to be a romantic comedy, or even a 'dramedy'. When I think of movies which are labelled as a romantic comedy, I think of films like 'Hitch', 'Love Actually', 'Love and Sex' or 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. Even 'Four Weddings', which had the death of a very dear friend, was still, for most parts, very funny.

I would've enjoyed it much more if I knew it was going to be a drama. I watched it when it first came out, but couldn't finish it. Then I left it until a couple of months ago and watched it again with a different mindset - knowing and expecting the movie to be drama and I DID manage to finish it.

I can't make any comparisons to the book since I haven't read it, so I'll just go from the movie. I've seen some posts which said that Magda was very different in the book and she was more respectable (and not as annoying!). Charles-Henry's insensitive, callous behaviour towards Roxy kind of reminded me of Maurice from 'A Woman Destroyed' by Simone de Beauvoir - both mind-torturing their wives and doing the "It's hard for me too, so stop being so melodramatic!" thing. Argh.

So, for anyone who hasn't seen the movie, please note: THIS IS DRAMA, **NOT** ROMANTIC COMEDY!

"You know mom, I'm crazy about this Asprin... can't believe we give it to children."

[–] yada2121 12 years ago

It was a difficult film to follow with the suicide attempt and Matthew Modine going postal. But, it did expose both American and French cultural differences about love and romance and infidelity. Perhaps the suicide by Naomi Watt's character was supposed to reveal the difficulties that an American can have dealing with The French male attitude about infidelity. While it seems that French women may have a very similar attitude about it as American women. I thought the closing scene with Kate Hudson was a bit unexpected. And I thought that the idea of the attraction of American women to French men could have explored better, rather by subtle reference.

[–] mysteryman019 11 years ago

You guys are as long-winded as the movie. The reason why the movie was 'hated' or didn't do well is simply because it was.... BORING