Le Divorce

Le Divorce is, how do you say? Le mediocre at best. Heres a film advertised as a comedy of manners between the French and American cultures, yet manages to be not only unfunny, but slightly dark as well. Maybe its just me, but when a major character attempts suicide, it doesnt exactly evoke smiles or chuckles. The film centers around two American sisters, Isabel (Kate Hudson) and Roxanne (Naomi Watts). As Le Divorce opens Isabel has just arrived in Paris to visit Roxanne just as Roxannes life is coming apart. Roxannes husband, Antoine (Samuel Labarthe), decides to leave a pregnant Roxanne and their young daughter. Antoine has taken up with a Russian artist, but Roxanne wants desperately to keep the relationship together. Initially, Isabel is there to comfort her sister, but soon she becomes involved with a prominent French politician (Thierry Lhermitte) who also happens to be related to Roxannes husband. Director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant have made a career out of quality British films such as Howards End and The Remains of the Day, so the potential was there to create an interesting study of the American-French relationship. You get the elitist French stereotypes, matched against the obsessive American attitudes, but the film never does more than scratch the surface of these stereotypes. There were highlights to the film, especially Glen Close as Isabels employer. She seems to be a character that understands the American-French dynamics, making her the most interesting in the film. I would like to have seen more screen time given to her character, but instead we get way too much of Isabels relationship with the wealthy Frenchman. Hudson burst on the scene in Almost Famous, but this film continues to confirm my suspicion that Famous may well be her career peak. (To her credit, Hudson is more tolerable here than in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.)Watts has shown more promise in her recent work, but the screenplay severely underplays her character to allow time for duller characters, such as the Russian mistresss jilted husband, played completely over the top by Matthew Modine. Ivory co-wrote the screenplay with Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and the pair have a tough time keeping the film focused. Characters come and go, with most resorting to uninteresting stereotypes. Ikept waiting for the film to come together, but realized about two-thirds of the way through that it wasnt going to happen. The result is a film more frustrating than entertaining. You get the feeling that somewhere buried deep inside Le Divorce is a good film waiting to get out. Its just a shame this talented cast and crew didnt take a little more time to find it. Sportswriter/movie reviewer Micheal Compton, still mad at the French for the way they acted in The Longest Day starring John Wayne, can be reached for comment by e-mailing mcompton@bgdailynews.com.