Grace of Monaco, starring Nicole Kidman, wasn’t finished in time for Cannes, but images of Kidman as Hollywood starlet-turned-princess Grace Kelly whet the appetite for Olivier Dahan’s historical drama, The Hollywood Reporter said.

The THR exclusive images suggest Dahan is not taking a lookalike approach for the film, something Kidman, speaking to THR in fall 2012 when Grace still was shooting, confirmed. “I’m not trying to re-create Grace, just capture her essence. Like [Dahan’s Edith Piaf drama] La Vie en Rose, this is more of an art movie than a strict biopic.”

The Weinstein Co. will bow Grace of Monaco in an awards-season qualifying run stateside Dec. 27.