We could have guessed that Grace of Monaco was going to be diabolical when it emerged that Harvey Weinstein had opted against turning up for its premiere at Cannes. The movie mogul had a good excuse for his absence, but had he known this was Oscar material, he would have been there smiling for the cameras.

Grace of MonacoNicole Kidman as Grace Kelly

The movie stars Nicole Kidman as former Hollywood star Grace Kelly who married Monaco's Prince Rainier III. It focuses mainly on the Prince's dispute with France's Charles De Gaulle over tax laws in the early 1960s. 

Director Olivier Dahan doesn't boast a particularly impressive record, although his last effort, La Vie en Rose, was a decent enough movie. Grace of Monaco, on the other hand, is awful - so say the critics.

"Kidman's flawless face is filmed in such extreme close-up during this climax that the camera appears to be attempting full penetration, first through a pearly nostril, then a glistening ear," said Dave Sexton of This Is London.

"Little is left to our imagination or intelligence as characters spout facts and exposition and we're treated to a parade of familiar historical figures in distracting smaller roles," wrote Dave Calhoun of Time Out.

Nicole Kidman Grace of MonacoNicole Kidman in 'Grace of Monaco'

"A clunkingly unconvincing melodrama which, were it not for its A-list star ... would be indistinguishable from the cheesiest and most patronising of made-for-TV biopics," said Nicholas Barber of the BBC.

"It is almost perversely impressive how Dahan misses almost every target and squanders almost every opportunity," said Stephen Dalton of the Hollywood Reporter.

"A minor royal Euro-pudding which lands awkwardly in sub-Roman Holiday territory amidst a product placement blitz of diamonds and up-dos, chandeliers and yachts, soft-focus close-ups and bleachy Riviera hues," said Fionnuala Halligan of Screen International.

"This is a terrible film and a waste of a potentially fascinating story about a Hollywood legend. She deserved better and so do we," said Jo-Anne Titmarsh of HeyUGuys.

Grace of Monaco hits theaters in the UK on June 6, 2014.

Watch the Grace of Monaco trailer: