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Canberra Today 15°/17° | Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Monte Carlo (M) ★ ★ ★

WRITER/director Thomas Bezucha has feminised and updated Mark Twain’s “The Prince and the Pauper”. Chaperoned by step-sisters Emma and Meg, Grace travels to Paris as a high school graduation gift. Their guided-tour-from-hell leaves them behind at the Eiffel Tower.

The paparazzi are waiting outside a grand hotel for spoiled petulant British heiress Cornelia to check in for a charity auction, but she has sloped off alone to do whatever sloping-off heiresses do.

Grace is a dead ringer for Cornelia. Opportunity calls. Grace impersonates Cornelia and Emma and Meg share the goodies, including the boys. Predicting how this will pan out is not hard.

Only three elements of “Monte Carlo” (mostly filmed in Hungary) seemed authentic – Louis Armstrong’s recording of “La Vie En Rose”, Grace Kelly’s famous “breast or thigh” line from “To Catch a Thief” and the formidable bosom of Catherine Tate playing Cornelia’s aunt.

Selena Gomez is unimpressive as Grace/Cornelia. Katie Cassidy as Emma has her moments. Australian Luke Bracey as Riley, whom I envied when he scored with Meg (Leighton Meester) may have a Hollywood future.

At Dendy, Hoyts and Limelight

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Dougal Macdonald

Dougal Macdonald

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