Selena Gomez stars as an optimistic teen from Texas in this comedy...now I use the word comedy loosely since unless you're under the age of twelve, it's doubtful that you'll ever physically laugh while viewing this film. Gomez's Grace has been saving pennies for years while working a thankless waiting job and attending her high school classes. Finally a graduate, she and her best friend, Emma, played by the strikingly beautiful Katie Cassidy, are off to Paris for a vacation of a lifetime. But no fairy-tale is complete without the unwanted stepsister tagging alone, this time portrayed by Leighton Meester.
In what could have offered some comedic moments but somehow failed to, the girls realize their tour of Paris just doesn't live up to expectations. Add that with the fact Grace and Emma aren't exactly fond of Grace's uptight stepsister, the vacation is a nightmare to the girls. Luckily, this is where the magic comes in and it is discovered that Grace has an identical look-alike who happens to stroll into the hotel where the girls are. Add some cheesy contrivances and a few unbelievable plot twists and bam! The girls find themselves on a private jet to Monte Carlo, where Grace will be posing as her snotty doppleganger Cordelia.
The girls then go into romantic individual story lines, each one more dull and pointless than the next. Grace's romance with French socialite Theo evolves at a rapid and completely unrelatable pace. He literally dislikes her one second and then decides that because she likes horses that she's "different" and the one for him. They briefly check out some fireworks and fall for each other without exchanging so much as an e-mail address. Emma must decide between a snooty guy she meets who rarely speaks and is played by an unknown actor or her sweet Texan boyfriend played by popular Glee heartthrob Cory Monteith. Gee, I wonder who she will choose in the end? The most intriguing relationship as far as romance goes to Meg and Riley. Riley is a forward Australian mate who manages to open up Meg's hard exterior and help her come to terms with her mother's passing while they fall for each other. Their romance has a slight adventurous quality to it that's somewhat redeemable.
The thing about Monte Carlo is that while it's not horrifically offensive, it's hardly passable for entertainment. It's dull, long, boring, and stretched out over practically two hours in a simple and cheesy story that could've been handled in 90 minutes. Gomez, who has a great sense of comedic timing and charisma that she showcases on her poorly written Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, won me over on a show that's just not good, so it's unfortunate that she has yet to find a film that will truly utilize her skills and allow her to showcase her true star potential to the world. Hopefully she'll be given further chances after this failure. Leighton and Katie are also very likable in their roles, but the film's weak script and lack of comedy can't save this dull film. Despite all of the above, the scenery is gorgeous and the three young actresses are not to blame for this poor excuse for a romantic comedy. Especially when there are great family films out there featuring female leads that cover all age-groups such as Disney's Tangled.
In what could have offered some comedic moments but somehow failed to, the girls realize their tour of Paris just doesn't live up to expectations. Add that with the fact Grace and Emma aren't exactly fond of Grace's uptight stepsister, the vacation is a nightmare to the girls. Luckily, this is where the magic comes in and it is discovered that Grace has an identical look-alike who happens to stroll into the hotel where the girls are. Add some cheesy contrivances and a few unbelievable plot twists and bam! The girls find themselves on a private jet to Monte Carlo, where Grace will be posing as her snotty doppleganger Cordelia.
The girls then go into romantic individual story lines, each one more dull and pointless than the next. Grace's romance with French socialite Theo evolves at a rapid and completely unrelatable pace. He literally dislikes her one second and then decides that because she likes horses that she's "different" and the one for him. They briefly check out some fireworks and fall for each other without exchanging so much as an e-mail address. Emma must decide between a snooty guy she meets who rarely speaks and is played by an unknown actor or her sweet Texan boyfriend played by popular Glee heartthrob Cory Monteith. Gee, I wonder who she will choose in the end? The most intriguing relationship as far as romance goes to Meg and Riley. Riley is a forward Australian mate who manages to open up Meg's hard exterior and help her come to terms with her mother's passing while they fall for each other. Their romance has a slight adventurous quality to it that's somewhat redeemable.
The thing about Monte Carlo is that while it's not horrifically offensive, it's hardly passable for entertainment. It's dull, long, boring, and stretched out over practically two hours in a simple and cheesy story that could've been handled in 90 minutes. Gomez, who has a great sense of comedic timing and charisma that she showcases on her poorly written Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, won me over on a show that's just not good, so it's unfortunate that she has yet to find a film that will truly utilize her skills and allow her to showcase her true star potential to the world. Hopefully she'll be given further chances after this failure. Leighton and Katie are also very likable in their roles, but the film's weak script and lack of comedy can't save this dull film. Despite all of the above, the scenery is gorgeous and the three young actresses are not to blame for this poor excuse for a romantic comedy. Especially when there are great family films out there featuring female leads that cover all age-groups such as Disney's Tangled.