Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy, Infidelity, Marriage, Love, Murder, Hostage, Police, Culture Clash
Tagline: Everything sounds sexier in French.
Plot: When two American sisters become caught up in the intimate intrigue of Paris, cultures and human passions collide - and the result is a comedy of manners and morals, money and marriage, sex and sorority that sheds incandescent light on what it means to be an American abroad. LE DIVORCE follows the journey of Isabel Walker (Kate Hudson), a quintessential young Californian newly arrived in the City of Light to visit her pregnant sister, Roxeanne (Naomi Watts). A darkly romantic poet, Roxy has just been jilted by her scoundrel husband, Charles-Henri de Persand (Melvil Poupaud), and it appears they are headed for "le divorce." Meanwhile, Isabel leaps into l'amour with a married French diplomat (Thierry Lhermitte) who happens to be the uncle of Roxy's soon-to-be-ex. As scandal ensues, the American idealism and irrepressible spirit of the Walker sisters comes up against the French sophistication and stubborn rationalism of the Persand family. Complicating the two families' relations is a painting in Roxy's possession that is discovered to be worth millions of dollars. And then, quite suddenly, a crime of passion disrupts all the scheming and culture clashes - and opens up new possibilities for understanding. Based on the best-selling novel by Diane Johnson, LE DIVORCE is a new
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 As it is, ''Le Divorce'' is tasteful, but almost entirely without flavor. It is tough work to sit through a comedy made by filmmakers with so little sense of timing and no evident sense of humor.--A.O. Scott (The New York Times)
Le Divorce moves at a frantic enough pace to keep most viewers interested, if not entirely engaged. Although all of the "action" occurs in the final act, there's plenty going on throughout the entire film. If Ivory had enabled the viewers to really care about one (or more) of the characters, the proceedings would have been more meaningful.  --James Berardinelli (ReelViews)
"Le Divorce" doesn't work on its intended level, because we don't care enough about the interactions of the enormous cast. But it works in another way, as a sophisticated and knowledgeable portrait of values in collision.  --Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)
The problem may be that Ivory, an American who has frequented Paris for half a century, treats the city as the film's main character, to some degree. He certainly highlights its beauty and character.--Ron Weiskind (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Another eloquent character-driven story from Merchant Ivory, this comedy of manners rests on the inherent differences in social rules and values between French and American cultures. 8/10--Avril Carruthers (Movie-Vault.com)
Le Divorce has a fluid, happy grace to it that few filmmakers would be capable of pulling off.  --Chris Barsanti (FilmCritic.com)
And while the movie does occasionally suffer from an overstuffed plot, there's no denying that Le Divorce is consistently entertaining. --David Nusair (Reel Film Reviews)
Ivory's movie - which veers erratically between sugar-coated romance, broad farce, and risible melodrama - is too wrapped up in its convoluted plot to provide anything more than trifling insights.  --Neil Smith (BBC Films)
It seems on the face of things like a demure comedy of manners. But the boorish jokes about clueless Americans and ridiculous Frenchies are presented without finesse or point.  --Jami Bernard (New York Daily News)
Nice-looking but extremely messy film, populated with irritating characters and brimming with infuriating dialogue. Le disastre.  --Matthew Turner (ViewLondon)
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| Directed by |
James Ivory
The Remains of the Day, A Room with a View, Howards End |
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| Cast |
Kate Hudson
Almost Famous, The Skeleton Key, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days |
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 | Glenn Close
Mars Attacks!, Air Force One, Dangerous Liaisons |
 | Sam Waterston
The Killing Fields, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Serial Mom |
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| Though there's the odd cute moment, and after the initial rushed introductions you start to care about the characters, the film lurches from clunky comedy to melodrama and back. Worse, it feels both overstuffed and brutally cut down to a two-hour length. --Jonathan Foreman (New York Post)
"Le Divorce" is hectic and it shortchanges several characters, but Ivory's direction is so polished and smooth and full of smart observations that I never found my attention lagging.--Edward Guthmann (San Francisco Chronicle)
A polished piece of film-making, and a welcome antidote to the less subtle portrayals of the Franco-American relations found currently in the world media. A bit inconsequential, though... 7/10--Anton Bitel (Movie Gazette)
"Le Divorce" is hectic and it shortchanges several characters, but Ivory's direction is so polished and smooth and full of smart observations that I never found my attention lagging.--Edward Guthmann (San Francisco Chronicle)
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