Some of previous trailers for the upcoming film Grace of Monaco have focused more on how luminous Nicole Kidman can look in her title role than little things like plot and characterization. Thankfully, we now have a more complete picture of the film with the arrival of the latest piece of promotional footage.
The trailer showcases Kidman’s performance as Grace Kelly, the Hollywood star who became a Princess when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco (Tim Roth). The film will focus primarily on the period when the principality of Monaco was involved in a political dispute with France, and the expectations that Grace has some problems living up to. We get to see Princess Grace’s less than fairy tale existence, as she fights with her Prince over a possible return to Hollywood and grapples with the difficulties of being royalty.
While the cast of Grace of Monaco is a stellar one – including Frank Langella, Parker Posey, and Derek Jacobi – the trailers still make it appear a bit too glossy and romantic for my liking. Kidman is an excellent actress, but she often tends to roles that make her luminous and just a little ephemeral, as though she’s more of an image than an actual character. Her Grace is gorgeous, no doubt, and obviously will suffer a great deal, but it’s the suffering of a princess in a fairytale, not a real human being. So while I’m slightly more interested in the film than previous trailers suggested, I still feel like I need to be convinced.
But do not take my word for it. Watch the latest trailer for Grace of Monaco below and let us know what you think about it in the comments.
Grace of Monaco will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, with a UK release date set for June 6. There is no US release date as yet, but we’ll keep an eye out.
