The Affair of the Necklace (2001)

15% of critics liked it
(61 reviews)
44% of users liked it
(3,639 ratings)

A director of contemporary comedies, Charles Shyer makes a genre leap into period costume drama with this lavish epic based on a controversial chapter of French history. Hilary Swank stars as Jeanne de la Motte Valois, a countess whose royal title has been stripped from her family by the crown in… More A director of contemporary comedies, Charles Shyer makes a genre leap into period costume drama with this lavish epic based on a controversial chapter of French history. Hilary Swank stars as Jeanne de la Motte Valois, a countess whose royal title has been stripped from her family by the crown in late 18th century. Determined to restore her good name and privilege, Jeanne schemes politically and sexually with a trio of co-conspirators that includes her gigolo lover, Retaux de Villette (Simon Baker), her husband, Nicolas (Adrien Brody), and a mysterious Italian count (Christopher Walken) to obtain a diamond necklace worth millions. Jeanne's cabal concocts a series of forged letters linking Marie Antoinette (Joely Richardson) and the stunning 2,800-carat jewelry to the debauched Cardinal Louis de Rohan (Jonathan Pryce), an act that could end up restoring rank to the Valois family or fanning the flames of growing revolutionary sentiments. The Affair of the Necklace (2001) co-stars Brian Cox as the narrator Minister Breteuil. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr.
Directed By: Charles Shyer
Written By: John Sweet
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: Nov 30, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Jun 25, 2002
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
A cheap bauble of a flick.
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
The film has a desperate, disjointed feel that suggests the filmmakers realized it wasn't working and kept trying, ineffectually, to fix it.
Jay Carr, Boston Globe
The entire film seems a series of disjointed pieces, a screenful of iron filings waiting in vain for the magnet that will line them up in a unified field.
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
Shyer's film denies us the double dip of vice and virtue. It's moralistic.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The storytelling is hopelessly compromised by the movie's decision to sympathize with Jeanne.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Little more than sexed-up soap opera in powdered wigs.
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media
Mature themes, big stars in French Rev. intrigue.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Much of the dramatic juice and intrigue have been drained out of this old-fashioned costume drama, that in the hands of director Charles Shyer and actress Hilary Swank becomes stiff, stuffy, and banal affair.
Alan Dale, Blogcritics.org
Swank's honest mistake is in trying to be worthy of a project that's beneath her.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
I felt as if I was at an Yves St. Laurent fashion show and the actors were modeling the latest in 18th-century fashions.
Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly
Jeanne is no fun at all.
Ted Murphy, Baseline.Hollywood.com
... takes a fascinating footnote and reduces it to a mediocre and fitfully entertaining film.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
Fans of costume dramas or those who make a study of such things will want to pick this up.
Jason Clark, Matinee Magazine
A crass, often ridiculously misguided period drama that spells everything out in nice, big block letters so even a small child could comprehend it.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

Decent movie. Good cast. Apparently based on true-ish events, but much was added for theatrical purposes, I would think. Hilary Swank is good in everything she does, and this movie is no exception. I knew nothing about this time period, but after watching this film I found myself… More
Decent movie. Good cast. Apparently based on true-ish events, but much was added for theatrical purposes, I would think. Hilary Swank is good in everything she does, and this movie is no exception. I knew nothing about this time period, but after watching this film I found myself looking for information. Interesting story, indeed.
Kylie B

It looks so stunning that you (or at least I) can take it seriously or not on whim.
Marion R

The only reason I wanted to see this movie was because of Adrien Brody, But the parts he was in weren't worth watching the whole film for. I thought the music was bad especially the song at the beginning credits. The screenplay fails at trying to make you feel anything for the… More
The only reason I wanted to see this movie was because of Adrien Brody, But the parts he was in weren't worth watching the whole film for. I thought the music was bad especially the song at the beginning credits. The screenplay fails at trying to make you feel anything for the main character except that she is a greedy liar. One star for the Adrien Brody scenes.