Review of Le Divorce (2003) by James H — 17 Jun 2004

It is not often I become disengaged from a film, but Le Divorce was one of those rare exceptions. Unbearably pretentious and exceedingly boring, Le Divorce meanders aimlessly through the story of a pregnant American woman's divorce from her French husband, a louse who has already moved on to an affair with a married Cossack.

The viewer is subjected to every tedious detail of the messy proceedings, learning along the way that French law favors the men, even if they are abominable cads. Despite decent performances from Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts, and Glenn Close, Le Divorce failed to hold my interest or make me care about the outcome - fact is, for much of the film, I was hard pressed to identify a character I liked.

The French characters are boorish snobs and the Americans are greedy and self-absorbed. And, the finale is completely unsatisfying, a haphazard finish that appears to have been slapped together in an effort to wrap the whole thing up.

True to reality, I could not wait for this Divorce to become final so I could move on with my life.