MovieChat Forums > Le divorce (2003) Discussion > What in the hell did I just watch?

What in the hell did I just watch?

posted 9 years ago by PlatinumScreen
2 replies | jump to latest

I watched this movie for one reason -- Romain Duris. He wasn't enough, however, to rescue the two hours of my life I'll never see again.

I don't think I can recall a movie that suffered from an identity crisis more. Wait, yes I can. If you want to see what edged Le Divorce out by a hair in this department in my opinion, watch Love With the Proper Stranger with Steve McQueen and Natalie Wood. Those two look so incredible separately and together it almost makes up for the tone flip. I digress....

Was Le Divorce a comedy? A drama? A black comedy? A satire? An art history mystery? A whatchamacallit? I still don't know.

Let me list in no order of importance some of my aggravations *SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW*:

1. Isabel's haircut and color. A St. Bernard threw up his owner's linguine and clams dinner, and it landed on her head. Taking her curls to that was painful to watch.

2. Roxy's husband looked like he just walked out of his grade school graduation ceremony. He was miscast in my opinion. Romain Duris should have played that role. Speaking of Romain Duris, he was woefully underutilized. Great actor.

3. Isabel meets Yves, and literally two seconds later they're snuggling in bed mostly clothed. No in-between build-up. Had they just had sex? Did they just watch a Jerry Lewis movie? Were they snuggling as lovers? As friends? Confusing.

4. Roxy slices her wrists open, and is clearly not mentally well at that time, but is still able to bee-bop all over Paris without missing a beat. Did she get any kind of help? (This contributed heavily to the identity problem)

5. That Matthew Modine character. He was so over-the-top and stalkerish it's like he stumbled onto the wrong set while working on another gangsterish, film-noir movie nearby at the same time. (Another identity issue contributor)

6. Too many people were in this movie! Many characters weren't necessary to anything. Did I really need to see and hear Sam Waterston or that brother who is in every movie like this but I don't know his name?

7. This tone problem the movie had--lighthearted or serious, comedy or drama--pretty much canceled out any and all of the characters' reactions when something funny or serious occurred.

I've got so many more, but I'm aggravated and tired from talking about this aggravating and tiring movie. I've watched pretty much nothing but truly great, real French films all summer, so this Le Divorce hot mess was a glaring disappointment.

[–] DreamsAgain 9 years ago

One of my least favorite movies. Which is too bad, since I normally like what Stockard Channing does and Naomi Watts and Sam Waterston does. But in this movie, those talents were wasted.

The points you listed above that really caught my attention:

Point # 7...this movie has an "identity crisis",like you said. Left a bad taste in my mouth.

Point #6...yes, WAY TOO MANY CHARACTERS! Most were not even needed.

Point #5...I really liked Mathew in FULL MEDAL JACKET. But in this movie, he just looked like a fool. Don't know why he accepted this part?

Point # 3.....the chemistry between the older man, and Isabel did not work at all for me.

Point # 1...the wig that Isabel wore was so obviously awful. I guess maybe they wanted that wig to look awful on her.

[–] PlatinumScreen 9 years ago

Dreams, yes it was a stinker wasn't it? I agree with you that excellent talent was wasted, so I don't understand why these accomplished actors agreed to be in this movie in the first place.