Waking up in LA to news I knew a bit ago: Olivier Dahan’s “Grace of Monaco” starring Nicole Kidman and Tim will open this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Well, of course it will! This is where it was always meant to be. “Grace” tells a sort of historical refraction of how movie star Grace Kelly became Prince Rainier’s secret weapon in fight with France over taxing Monaco. Kidman and Roth are sensational in it.
An early New York screening without music or color correction had a very good response last fall. But The Weinstein Company wisely held it back out of Oscar competition because they had too many potential nominees for Best Actress.
As it is, Judi Dench became their candidate from “Philomena” and Meryl Streep from “August: Osage County.” Nicole is now on deck for next year, and Tim Roth could go into supporting.
Reading some other columns this morning, these writers forget something: Harvey Weinstein was always going to make this movie work in a big splashy way for Nicole Kidman. And he’s come through with flying colors. An opening in Cannes is the perfect launch for this little gem of a film. Bravo!
