Movie Review: Monte Carlo

In a summer full of unnecessary sequels, glitzy visuals, and mind-numbing special effects, it's actually quite refreshing to see a cute, fun and enjoyable chick flick. It's not something I would necessarily remember a few months from now as it wasn't anything brilliant, but sometimes one just needs to laugh and be entertained. And yes, this film was able to do that.

In all honesty, Monte Carlo was a rather silly idea of a movie. It's absurd, awfully predictable ad cliched from the get go, but weren't all teen movies like that?

The writing was neither brilliant, nor poetic. I didn't find any monumental achievement in production for pulling off a seemingly impossible stunt or task. The soundtrack wasn't anything memorable and Oscar won't be expecting any of the cast to start dusting off their mantles anytime soon. But what really made this film, at the very least, watchable was the fact that it didn't take itself too seriously.

The cast, for example, seemed like they were actually having fun doing the film. I thought Selena Gomez, who I always find stiff in her movie roles, gave a pretty decent performance in this movie. Yes, she was a bit bland for the most part - I actually liked her portrayal of the other role - but who was I to complain? Katie Cassidy was partly annoying and partly tolerable, so whatever.

As for Leighton Meester? I found her surprisingly funny and she stole most of the scenes she was in. I enjoyed most of her subtle spontaneous commentaries throughout the film. Together, I really thought the chemistry between the trio - Gomez, Cassidy, and Meester - was possibly one of the strongest points of this film. 

If I have one minor criticism about the film, that would have to be the romantic subplot of all three girls. I get it, there should be a love angle somewhere in this film, but it somehow ruined most of the momentum of the main story just because things jumped from one romance to another. Oh, and the serious moments were actually quite disposable, so I didn't care much for it.

All in all, Monte Carlo was a funny, lighthearted and entertaining film. True, the idea has been done countless times already, but if you're looking for a film to keep you entertained - just don't expect anything clever or life changing - then this will do the job.

RATING: 6/10