Monday, November 06, 2006

Marie Antoinette

MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006) - Nov. 6, 2006
Wow. I loved this film. It was phenomenal. Just on a visual level it was pretty much perfect -- I liked Sophia Coppola before but as far as I'm concerned this has raised her to a whole new level. Kirsten Dunst was surprisingly good in the title role, and made Antoinette someone we actually came to care about. Coppola's choice to contemporize the way everyone acted, Antoinette in particular, probably helped (at the start of the film, she seems as bemused at the pompousness of Versailles as the audience). This choice -- as well as the sporadic use of contemporary music -- could have been disastrous, but it absolutely works, making the characters much more relatable, if not entirely accurate (the brief inclusion of a sneaker seems to be Coppola's way of acknowledging to the audience that while this is a historical tale, it is still her film). The movie features a slower, more leisurely pace, but I was never bored for a second. The pacing suited the film perfectly, really drawing the viewer in and setting the perfect mood and tone. This was a great, great film, and I have to say that I'm a bit shocked it was received so negatively. ****

No comments: