Marie Antoinette (2006)

This is NOT your history class!

I see many people complaining that the movie doesn't give much attention to the whole Revolution fuss. Of course, in a story dealing with Marie Antoinette, one would have expected the revolution to be the central point of it all. But this is the very differential of this movie: it gives you an intimate picture of the queen, her life and her reality - even if that reality was not in accordance to the one of her people. Not that it was good or right, but that's how it was. Period.
And that's what i liked about it. The French Revolution - it's why's, how's, when's, you should have learnt in your history class. This is NOT a movie that will teach you history. This is a movie that will show you the infamous and despised Marie Antoinette from another point of view.

The movie is colorful, and has a wonderful light! It's pleasing to watch it, even in the balls, with all the music and movement, you don't get a headache, because it's really...smooth. The colors are alive, but no psychedelic. The soundtrack is fantastic - i loved how Sofia Coppola mixed old and modern music, and it doesn't feel awkward, The costumes are fantastic, and the fact that they filmed it all in the real Versailles, it's no wonder all seems so true. I usually don't care much about Kirsten Dunst, but she's nice here too...Coppola did managed to get a good work from an actress that is sorta uninspiring sometimes.

I agree, maybe Marie Antoinette is a bit fantasized. But as i said, this a movie you'll watch for fun, maybe for the opportunity of seeing hated Marie Antoinette in a different light. But it's not your history class. It's not her complete biography, several facts are missing, because you just cannot put one person's ENTIRE lifetime in a single movie. If you want it, read Antonia Fraser's "Marie Antoinette: The Journey", or Evelyne Lever's "Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France". As for the movie, enjoy it, the light, the beauty, the songs, the love, everything! This movie is simply meant to be enjoyed, and for that purpouse, i think it's just GREAT! August 6, 2008

LUSCIOUSLY DONE, BUT A BIT WEAK ON SUBSTANCE

Nothing makes me happier than huge powdered wigs, beautiful gowns with wide farthingales, riding to hounds, fans, feathers, fruit, and fops. But there was way too much of that here. I almost overdosed on opulence. I got what director Sofia Coppola was trying to do, but I felt like I was watching today's Hollywood crew of "ne'er do wells": Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, etc.

This movie was less about "Marie Antoinette" than it was about her husband's impotence (the result of a physical problem eventually corrected by surgery, something not revealed here). It was painful to watch and wait for 75 minutes until Louis XVI, an expert locksmith, was able to get his "key" in the door. Later, Marie's "booty calls" with the sexy Count Fersen (Jamie Doman) seemed like porn after scene after scene waiting for the Dauphin's "cannon" to blow. With no reference to time passing, it seemed that the non-consummation of the royal marriage went on for decades. It wasn't until Marie had some kids did we get some idea of the time, although the kids were growing up like children on soap operas - one minute they are in a cradle, the next they are going to law school. And it appeared as if the Swedish Count was the real "baby daddy" of Marie Antoinette's second child, the male heir to the throne.

Many of the scenes, while lush and beautifully filmed, went on way too long, adding nothing to the story (there were so many hunt scenes, I was about to shoot myself!). Kirsten Dunst, in the title role, was lovely, child-like, and ethereal. She had you believing that Marie Antoinette really said "Let them eat cake", with her birthday cake and kazillion pastries shown throughout looking as if they were baked by "The Ace of Cakes". While I loved the contemporary soundtrack (produced by Brian Reitzeil), the 1940s standard hit single "Fools Rush In", sung by a vocally-challenged chanteuse, was reminiscent of early Mary J. Blige, which made the fillings in my teeth hurt! The sets were gorgeous (it's hard to mess up Versailles and Le Petit Trianon), but the story was weak, inaccurate and, at times, just ridiculous. Take note of the scene with Marie buying shoes like she was at a Jimmy Choo sample sale - it shows a pair royal Chuck Taylors! I was expecting Snoop Dogg to be at the Bal Masque!

The only compliment I have is very minor. The production and costume designers kept the colors worn and around the aristocracy soft, with pinks, blues, mints, and yellows. With everything looking like a surgary icing-covered pastry, you could almost taste the decadence and waste of the time while the common people of France were starving. But we never actually saw any poor people....except for the ghetto-fabulous Madam Du Barry (Asia Argente), mistress of the licentious Louis XV (Rip Torn), Marie Antoinette's father-in-law. A former "woman of the streets", du Barry she actually burps loudly at a state dinner, among other coarse actions. While everyone else at Versailles seemed to have been given the Limited Edition Easter Set of Crayolas, du Barry only got the box of 8 colors - and she preferred using the red, black, and blue crayons, with great abandon. She stood out of the movie like a sore thumb which, of course, was the point. Now, that I got.

I know that young Marie Antoinette was merely a political pawn between France and her own Austria. She had been shipped off to have a baby for the future teen king of France, in order to cement relations between the two countries. At age 14, Marie did what teenagers do when they have nothing to do and the American Express Black - wear the numbers off the card! But after 2 hours of watching overspending and aborted sexual relations, I couldn't wait to see "The National Razor", le guillotine. I wanted to chop off Coppola's head for wasting all of that satin! But the movie never even went that far - it failed like Louis in bed.

Judy Davis, Marianne Faithful, Rip Torn, Jason Schwartzman, Jamie Doman, and the rest were well cast here. Molly Shannon was so believable that I still don't remember seeing her. All of the little dogs were good, too. But the end titles, which came out of the blue, were more interesting than this movie. I didn't bother to see if there were deleted scenes on this disc - I wished the whole movie had been deleted!
August 3, 2008

Let them have Marie Antoinette

The movie was visually stunning. The scenery, the costumes, the colors, everything just "popped"!
I didn't really care for the modern music as the soundtrack (hence, the 4 stars) but I see why it was chosen. It gives us the sense that Marie Antoinette was just like us, not some name in a textbook. She was young and wild and wanted the freedom to do so, regardless if she was the Queen of France or not.
I LOVED Kirsten Dunst in this role. You can really see how Marie Antoinette grows throughout the film. From a young girl, to a mother, to her husband's equal. The film is done from her perspective, so there's no fighting or blood and gore. And from what I have read, it was a pretty accurate portrayal of her too.
There are mixed reviews on this movie, and if you are even the slightest bit interested, it's worth at least renting. August 2, 2008

Incredibly Boring

I usually don't watch chick flicks but I gave this a try while recovering from wisdom teeth surgery. It was awful! Boring to the last scene. I would prefer to poke my eyes out before watching this again. Guys, run away from this! July 23, 2008

This Film Was Genuis

Yes, the critics hated it. But didn't they also tell us Elf was a funny family classic?

This film was done perfectly well in my opinion. It wasn't supposed to be a strict interpretation. This was not aired on BBC (as much as I love BBC). This was a creative approach to history.

I mean look at the good. 1) Excellent casting. 2)Gorgeous costumes. 3) Upbeat, classic yet modern music that kept the movies light tone and let's not forget... 4)It showed the luxury that the court all lived in wonderfully. You saw the food, the shopping, the lavish parties, the way they brushed off other cares. You watched her rise and fall. You could feel the court hate/love/hate her.

Overall, it was well done.



July 18, 2008

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