It’s always hard to review a movie like Monte Carlo, you want to mention the basic storyline and the lower-than-average acting but you really need to remember that this is a film aimed to keep teenagers entertained, not to win an Oscar. And when you look at it that way Monte Carlo actually works.
Monte Carlo follows Grace (Selena Gomez – Arthur 3: The War Of Two Worlds, TV’S Wizards Of Waverly Place), her up-tight sister, Meg (Leighton Meester – The Oranges, The Roomate) and her best friend, Emma (Katie Cassidy – Georgetown, A Nightmare On Elm Street) as they head to Paris on Grace and Emma’s first overseas holiday. However, when the tour turns out to be ‘the-worst-tour-in-Paris’ they see an out when Grace is mistaken for the spoilt heiress, Cordelia Winthrop Scott. As a result the trio soon find themselves living the high life in Monte Carlo, but how long can they keep the sham going?
The one person that did do a really good job on Monte Carlo is director, Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone, Big Eden) who chooses to forget that he is directing a ‘kids’ film and captures Paris and Monte Carlo in such a way that veteran filmmakers like Woody Allen would even be impressed. There is however one major flaw in the storyline. Yes, the film allows you to connect with the three main characters (and yes you will find yourself worried about them at times), but the issue is that what these girls do is in fact a crime, and despite the fact how despicable Cordelia is the three of them really don’t face any consequences for the serious things they have done… and that when you are filming a movie for kids/teenagers is a serious no-no.
Acting-wise you really shouldn’t expect too much, although Gomez, Meester and Cassidy should be proud of what they have done, because to me honest I have seen a lot worse acting in films that are meant for teenagers. The scary thing is though Gomez seems to play the evil Cordelia a hell a lot of better than she does the nice, Grace. You have to pay her some credit for that.
Monte Carlo isn’t the kind of film that Dads and brothers will be enjoy but you get the feeling it will be lapped by younger females. In fact that is probably the best way to describe Monte Carlo, it really is Sex And The City for teenage girls.
Year: 2011
Director: Thomas Bezucha
Stars: Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, Leighton Meester
Classification: PG
Runtime: 109 mins
Rating: 
Available on DVD from 18th January, 2012