In 1956, Grace Kelly abandons her movie career to become the Princess of Monaco.

Picture gallery

When she leaves her life as a Hollywood star in 1956 to become the Princess of Monaco and wife of Prince Rainier, Grace Kelly doesn’t yet know what lies waiting for her. In 1962, when the legendary Alfred Hitchcock offers her a comeback role, she finds herself involved in an unprecedented political crisis, with the principality and General de Gaulle on opposite sides. The star turned princess must finally choose which role will be her permanent one …

From speculation about who would star (Charlize Theron, January Jones), to the outraged response to the movie from Monaco’s royal family and the battle between director Olivier Dahan and producer Harvey Weinstein over the final cut, the initial controversies surrounding Grace de Monaco were designed to generate buzz. What a waste of time. In the final analysis, this movie is nothing but astonishingly hackneyed speculation, scintillating silliness that doesn’t do justice to any of the facets of the main character – who is embodied by an exceptionally bland Nicole Kidman – as an artist, mother, wife and a woman unflaggingly committed to deserving causes. The 2014 Canned Film Festival couldn’t have started off worse...