If you’re wondering why Hilary Swank chose to play a countess down on her luck in 18th-century France after Boys Don’t Cry, you probably have a lot of companyincluding, it would seem, the actress herself. Nobody seems to know quite what he or she is doing in this opulent but fairly empty period fashion show, apart from campy overactors like Christopher Walken (as charlatan-magician Count Cagliostro) and Jonathan Pryce (as a depraved cardinal), who appear eager to fill the void left by their colleagues. John Sweet wrote the script, and Charles Shyer, a specialist in fluffy, forgettable comedies (Baby Boom, Father of the Bride and its sequel), directed. With Adrien Brody, Simon Baker, and Joely Richardson. 120 min. (JR)