adminType of film: Romantic comedy
Running time: 105 minutes. Age restriction: 16
Psychologists generally believe that what their patients actually experience when placed in a situation, is determined more than by any other factor by what they expected to experience. They bring with them, that is, their reaction rather than having the experience impress itself upon a clean slate.
This can be for good or for bad.
In the case of seeing the film “Monte Carlo”, which is clearly dominated by the 19-year-old actress Selena Gomez, I came away disappointed probably solely because I had read so many complimentary articles about her put out by Hollywood’s propaganda machine. Perhaps no one should be expected to live up to such hype.
Happily, however, for the average resident in Africa, who carries little hope of traversing the absolute Mecca with a small “m” – of French tourism, the film offers any wistful “stay-at-home” more than his money’s worth.
We are presented initially with three Texas girls, just graduated from high school. Grace (Selena Gomez) and Meg (Katie Cassidy) are sisters solely in the sense that the former’s father has recently married the latter’s mother. The two daughters have we are clearly shown no love for each other, precipitated by the resentment they harbour for their parents’ lack of fidelity.
At the last minute, for their trip to France, they are joined by Grace, who becomes available by virtue of turning down a marriage proposal from her love-sick swain. (Don’t be downhearted, reader: he has his way – this is, after all, a “feel-good movie) just before the final film credits.
It has seemed to me that, with each passing film which relies heavily on foreign travel, the cinema goer gets more and more for the price of his ticket.
In showing the stuck at home Zimbabwean the truly breathtaking marvels of Paris and Monte Carlo better than I’ve ever seen before – the makers of the film “Monte Carlo’ have absolved themselves of the need to apologise for the ham-handed plot which holds the whole thing together.
Landing with her two friends in Paris, Grace (Gomez) is mistaken for the expected arrival of a look-alike international superstar. Grace (and her friends) choose not to correct their hosts’ error, thereby skating on very thin ice.
Online Reporter