{image1}Rarely does a city as vibrant as Paris seem so drab as it does in "Le Divorce," from director James Ivory ("The Remains of the Day," "Howard's End"). That would be OK, perhaps, except the most of the performances by the film's all-star cast seem similar blase'.
Isabel Walker (Kate Hudon) arrives in Paris to visit her sister, a poet living in the city of light with her French husband, a painter, and their young daughter. What she finds, however, is that Charles-Henri de Persand (Melvil Poupaud) has left Roxy Walker (Naomi Watts) and their daughter Jenny for a wacky Russian performance artist, whose husband (Matthew Modine) isn't about to give her up.
But Roxanne isn't looking to lose her husband, either, and she refuses to give him the divorce he wants so that he can marry his new love.
While Roxy's life is falling apart -- weekly visits to her rich in-laws' house isn't helping her sanity much, either -- Isabel is finding plenty of new romance in Paris and is working for a famous American author (Glenn Close) who is wrapping up her many years in Paris to return to the U.S.
Meanwhile, Isabel's love life and her sister's intersect, which causes unhappiness all around.
The film feels most comfortable as a light-hearted romantic comedy and Parisian travelogue, despite the fact that it's set in a stage-set version of the city, where there are no sopping wet rugs diverting flowing rivers litter and there is nary a beggar. Perhaps its was filmed at a Paris-themed park.
When it strays into deeper and heavier territory, trying to be more than low-cal fare, the material becomes too much for most of the cast, who are unequipped to deal with serious emotional issues. Close is good -- if a little predictable -- in her portrayal of the American expat and Watts is believable as the woman whose world has suddenly and expectedly shattered.
Stockard Channing and Sam Waterston, as Isabel and Roxy's parents, are painful to endure. Hudson is breezy and fun during the up-mood moments, but sinks in weightier scenes.
"Le Divorce" opens Fri., Aug. 22 at Landmark's Oriental Theatre.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
