Last night was the premiere of Nicole Kidman‘s Grace Kelly biopic, Grace of Monaco, and suffice it to say, things did not go very well. In fact, they went terribly and pretty much every single film critic from every major publication panned the movie and Kidman’s performance in it. Oh, snap.
Here’s Newser‘s handy roundup of some of the worst feedback:
In an absolutely scathing review at the Guardian, Peter Bradshaw calls the biopic “a breathtaking catastrophe … a film so awe-inspiringly wooden that it is basically a fire-risk,” comparing it to “a 104-minute Chanel ad, only without the subtlety and depth.” A separate Guardian article rounds up similarly awful reviews and wonders, “Is there a critic who liked it?” Fox News‘ amusing headline take: “Grace of Monaco called a great comedy, which is bad, because it’s a drama.” (And yes, the article notes, there were “many audible laughs” during the screening.)
The Los Angeles Times notes that the premiere itself was “awkward,” thanks to a disagreement between the French filmmakers and the Weinstein Co., which is distributing the film in the US. Harvey Weinstein doesn’t like the French cut of the movie, which is what screened at Cannes, and he wasn’t even in attendance. The audience seemed to agree with him, the Times notes: “Cannes opening-night films tend to generate standing ovations of at least five or six minutes, but the clapping after this one was mostly polite, and it was over after a brief two.” Also adding to the drama: Princess Grace’s children have called the movie a “farce,” USA Today notes. But Kidman is standing behind the film, telling the BBC she doesn’t regret the role.
To be fair, this movie wasn’t meant to see the light of day, and at this rate, it probably shouldn’t have. Nicole Kidman has stood behind the project and has insisted that she doesn’t regret taking on the part, but oh man, you know she totally does.