Even before I sat down to watch “Monte Carlo” this summer I knew the film wasn’t made with someone like me in mind. A quick look around proved my point: Of the 30-40 people in the theater I was the only male. But even though “Monte Carlo” is a young chick flick, that doesn’t mean (as I proved) that guys can’t sit through it.
Teen pop singer and Disney Channel sensation Selena Gomez stars as Grace, who just graduated from high school. She heads-off to Paris on a highly-anticipated vacation with her best friend Emma (played by Katie Cassidy – daughter of singer David Cassidy) and her stepsister Meg (“Gossip Girl’s” Leighton Meester).
The trip starts out rather boring and underwhelming. But then Grace is mistaken for a British heiress, a rather selfish and rude one, named Cordelia Winthrop Scott, who, not surprisingly, looks a lot like Grace (and is also played by Gomez).
Grace decides to pretend to be Cordelia and soon the three girls wisked away to Monte Carlo. At this point the trip becomes quite exciting and a little overwhelming, as Grace isn’t use to all the attention and excitement that comes with being an heiress – the polo matches, fancy balls and the paparazzi. And she soon finds it hard to keep her real identity a secret from all the royalty around her, and a new boy she meets. And, as you might guess, things start to get real tricky when the real Cordelia comes back on the scene.
If you think the plot of “Monte Carlo” sounds like several other mistaken identity movies you’ve seen that’s because it is. Parts of it are very similar to “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” (the 2003 teen comedy which starred former Disney Channel phenom Hilary Duff), including some exact dialogue (“You look just like her!”). There’s also some “Parent Trap” in here, and bits from other similar films.
As for the performances, they’re all passable. I liked Gomez better in “Ramona and Beezus” and Meester in “Country Strong”. The supporting cast includes Cory Monteith (“Glee”) and Andie MacDowell. Oscar winner Nicole Kidman is one of the film’s producers.
One of the best things about “Monte Carlo” is the cinematography. The scenes in Paris and Monte Carlo look great. But most impressive are the scenes when both Gomez characters are in the same camera shot. They really look like two different people interacting with each other.
There are a few amusing moments and a nice message about the importance of helping others. And even though Gomez is the star, the other two leads get their share of screen time.
“Monte Carlo” is rated PG for some brief language. It’s appropriate for young girls 7 and up and Gomez fans will adore it. As for guys, as I mentioned at the top, you’ll survive the nearly 2-hours – barely. (Parents – you should know that some of the clothing the girls wear is a little revealing for a PG film, so keep that in mind).
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Monte Carlo” gets a C. Gomez also has a song on the soundtrack. She’s left the Disney Channel to concentrate on her singing and acting careers. Hopefully she’ll seek out better movie roles as she matures.