Stuck in a small town in Texas, Grace and her best friend Emma have been dreaming of their summer vacation to Paris all year long. You see, Grace (Selena Gomez) has always wanted to be different, and she hopes that Paris can bring about a change in her. While change may be good, little does she know that she is perfect just the way she is.

Grace, her best friend Emma (Katie Cassidy) and her independent step-sister Meg (Leighton Meester) each have their own reasons for going to Paris. Grace wants to be a new person, Emma wants to simply get out of Texas and well, Meg was actually forced into going. At first, the trip turns out to be a total disaster when nothing seems to go right. Then things take a drastic turn when Grace is mistaken for a wealthy heiress. Rather than come clean about who she really is, Grace decides to take on the role for a couple of days and live the life of luxury.

Monte Carlo is a story about love, friendship, and self-discovery. In a way, it’s like Sex and the City for the teenage crowd. You have a group of girls traveling around France having fun and developing new and exciting relationships. Sure, it doesn’t have all the sex and adult themes but you get the idea.

Perhaps the best thing about the film is its depiction of Paris and Monte Carlo. You definitely get the socialite feeling when watching it. The landscapes are breathtaking and while you do get a glimpse of some famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, it’s the everyday fanfare that really stands out. Just seeing the girls walk around the city makes you want to take a vacation at once.

Acting-wise, Monte Carlo is nothing to break out the awards for. It’s your typical teenage romantic comedy filled with laughable jokes (not the good kind) and cheesy romances. It was interesting to see Selena Gomez play two very different roles in the film however. Grace is a sweet and caring individual while the rich Cordelia is a stuck-up brat. Gomez still has a ways to go before she becomes one of the superstars but she clearly has a wide range of abilities. Now if only they could get her accent right.

Kids will no doubt get a kick out of Monte Carlo with its feel good story and characters. The film doesn’t do anything spectacularly well but it manages to keep things enough above average to hold your attention.

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