Flick Chick Goes to Monte Carlo

A few years ago when Matt Lauer went to Monte Carlo on one of his whirlwind, all-expenses paid trips around the world, he called it "a sunny place for shady people." Apparently if you're in trouble at home and have lots of cash, that's the place to hide out. But the place was all sunshine and innocence when Selena Gomez was there.

This movie is the perfect stop for tween girls after  shopping at Justice, but before scoping out cute boys at the neighborhood fro-yo spot. Those boys will have their work cut out for them, living up to the hotties in the movie, so I hope they have a little extra hair product on hand.  The cast of guys includes Glee’s Cory Monteith, Australian hottie Luke Bracey and Pierre Boulanger,  a young Frenchman of whom I think we’ll be seeing a lot more. He was amazing with Omar Sharif in 2003's Monsieur Ibrahim. The film’s star is Selena Gomez, and I’m not sure if that bodes well for box office or not. From what I can tell, the Beliebers are keeping their jealousy at bay for the moment, but I’m not sure if that will translate to ticket sales. We’ll know by Sunday!

Gomez is adorable. Maybe too adorable. The sweetness of her baby-like features kept me from believing in her angsty moments. And it also apparently made it very difficult to cast people who looked like they could be related to her. Andie MacDowell played her mother and the English version of Selena’s character had a fair-skinned, red-haired aunt played by Catherine Tate. O-kaaay…. But believability was never gonna be this film’s strong point.

The main plot is a case of mistaken identity that has Gomez gallivanting across Europe on a first-class ticket intended for heiress Cordelia Winthrop-Scott. There’s never a security stop or a passport check or even so much as a tough question along the way.  I decided to just go along for the ride anyway. I’m glad I did.

While the movie is obviously just a fluff piece, the direction is decidedly more cinematic than other flicks of this ilk. My favorite shot in the movie pops up less than two minutes in. This great shot comes when they introduce Grace, the main character, feet first. A close up shot of her cowboy-boot-clad feet tell us all we need to know about Gomez’ character. She’s hard-working, cares about her appearance but isn’t vain, and values substance over style.  Having just graduated from high school, Grace is all set for a life-changing trip to Paris with her best friend Emma (Katie Cassidy). At the last moment, her new step-sister Meg, played by Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester, ends up joining them. Hijinks ensue and they end up in Monte Carlo.

Filmmakers seem hell-bent on trying to capture the feeling of Paris in a movie. I wish they’d stop. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris opens with a few minutes of cutting from one shot of Paris to another. It’s a whole-hearted attempt to transport the viewer to an ethereal other-world. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. The thing about Paris is that it’s very real and quite tangible. It’s this tangibility that makes it feel like magic. Trying to re-create that magic through a lens just isn’t possible. There are lots of gratuitous Euro-porn shots in Monte Carlo as well, but that’s not the worst part. The real low points of the movie are in the moments when it tries to turn sentimental and serious. This is a fluffy, baby chick-lit story with a couple of chuckles. A little self-awareness is all I’m asking for here.

In spite of its abuse of the “find yourself in Europe” theme, I do like the fact that Monte Carlo shows smart, young, pretty American girls with a healthy respect and appreciation for other countries and cultures. I’m hoping some of that will rub off onto our self-absorbed, Kardashian-worshipping youth culture. Maybe that’s too much to hope for from a teeny-bop flick. But in any event, it’s a cute little movie that you can take your daughter or niece to without wishing you could poke out your eyes or fearing that she’ll turn into a mini go-go dancer. Ambition. Friendship. Charity. Honesty. Themes we can support and a cute story besides. Let’s go to Monte Carlo, girls!