Sorry for the low quality of some of these still photos from "Marie Antoinette". I captioned them from a copy a friend lent me. The film was just screened in my country's theatres last Friday, on 5th January and we'll have to wait until the DVD release.
LET THEM EAT GANACHE, October 22, 2006
"Booed at its Cannes premiere this year (as Anthony Lane in the "New Yorker" states: "Who was in the audience, Robespierre?"), "Marie Antoinette" is that rare bird: a film that is beautiful on the outside (everything about the physical movie is eye-poppingly gorgeous: Costumes, Food, Pastries, Shoes {yes shoes...in fact I can't remember a film in recent memory of which almost every reviewer mentions that Manolo Blahnik did the shoes}) as it is on the inside: studiously, exhaustively researched, thoughtfully written and impeccably directed by Sofia Coppola who gives us a revisionist portrait of M. Antoinette that is humane, heartfelt and above all measured and compassionate. There is no doubt who is in charge of this huge production and Coppola's obvious tender touch is evident everywhere throughout this film.
At the center of this film is the tragic, sad and revelatory Marie of Kirsten Dunst. Dunst's Marie is the outsider, reviled by the French court (called "L'Autrichienne" by most...the Austrian *itch), lost and 14 when she first arrives in France, literally stripped of everything Austrian, Dunst navigates this difficult role with ease. But this is not a surface performance...not at all. Dunst digs deep and reveals all the nuances, all the insecurities, all the strengths of one of the most hated women in all of history. Dunst plays Marie from her gut and she leaves her blood as well as her tears on the celluloid. Do not be swayed or fooled by the naysayers: this is a towering performance of the first order.
Coppola is getting a lot of bad press or her use of 80's music on the soundtrack (Bow Wow Wow, Gang of 4, The Cure) but she has so far in her two previous films ("The Virgin Suicides" and "Lost in Translation") proven to be nothing if not a populist, a product of her environment, a lover of popular culture. In "M.A." the music serves the story effectively by blasting away and preventing any cobwebs from growing on what could have been a stodgy Historical drama.
This "Marie Antoinette" is told from a Marie as a girl perspective: she is very young, she is giddy, very much impatient of the French Court and it's customs, very much into clothes and shoes yet she matures, has children, takes a lover grows wise, becomes the subject of gossip, learns to love Louis and becomes a loving and doting mother.
This is a fully fleshed out role of a victim, really: a victim of politics, of circumstances beyond her control.
Though Coppola will not be beheaded for making this wonderful film, it is apparent that most people just don't get "it." With all that said the fact remains:
"Marie Antoinette" contains one of the most beautiful images ever committed to film: Marie in a carriage, having been forced out of Versailles, deep sadness in her face, clutching her children and holding Louis's hand, the camera pointed out at the grounds of Versailles, she poignantly says "Goodbye" to the only place she can claim as home...as the carriage takes her family to Oblivion."
Reviewer: MICHAEL ACUNA (Glendale, California United States)
7 comments :
Glad you finally got to watch it Kendra! I am waiting for the DVD to come out here. I hope Kirsten and Sofia also read all the positive reviews and not just the negative ones..!
Here's what I found in the recent issue of Empire Mag. (Am. movie mag.)re the soundtrack to MA. It gave it 5 stars.
“…a double-disc musical feast as glorious as the gorgeous, gaudy parties of Versailles.
The two discs broadly follow the thematic progression of the film, the first bringing together the cream of 80s and 90s indie rock/pop as the young archduchess of Austria is introduced to the lavish possibilities of life as the Dauphin’s wife. Exuberant tracks like Siouxsie And The Banshees’ Hong Kong Garden, Gang of Four’s Natural’s Not In It and Bow Wow Wow’s Aphrodisiac and I Want Candy reflect both her adolescent excitement as she adjust to a life where everything seems possible, and the crazy irresponsibility that characterises the French court.
Yet to focus on the superficial frivolity of MA – the girl and the film – is to miss Marie’s underlying sadness and growing depth, ant it is in this respect that the soundtrack brings context, segueing into the sombre tones of The Cure’s Plainsong as the realities of royal life and a passionless marriage kick in. Disc two continues the reflective mood, Coppola returning to old friends Air and Squarepusher, as well as a mellow third track from Swedish indie kids The Radio Dept.
Dustin O’Halloran’ classical piano on Opus 17, 23 and 36 and a brilliant burst of Vivaldi offer historical ambiance, yet it is to The Cure that Coppola returns to finish her piece – the mournful All Cats Are Grey underlying that this party is certainly over. It’s an eclectic mix of tracks from one of history’s most enigmatic figures – and a richly rewarding compilation.”
(by Liz Beardsworth)
From Empire magazine which gives the soundtrack to Marie Antoinette 5 stars:
“…a double-disc musical feast as glorious as the gorgeous, gaudy parties of Versailles.
The two discs broadly follow the thematic progression of the film, the first bringing together the cream of 80s and 90s indie rock/pop as the young archduchess of Austria is introduced to the lavish possibilities of life as the Dauphin’s wife. Exuberant tracks like Siouxsie And The Banshees’ Hong Kong Garden, Gang of Four’s Natural’s Not In It and Bow Wow Wow’s Aphrodisiac and I Want Candy reflect both her adolescent excitement as she adjust to a life where everything seems possible, and the crazy irresponsibility that characterises the French court.
Yet to focus on the superficial frivolity of MA – the girl and the film – is to miss Marie’s underlying sadness and growing depth, ant it is in this respect that the soundtrack brings context, segueing into the sombre tones of The Cure’s Plainsong as the realities of royal life and a passionless marriage kick in. Disc two continues the reflective mood, Coppola returning to old friends Air and Squarepusher, as well as a mellow third track from Swedish indie kids The Radio Dept.
Dustin O’Halloran’ classical piano on Opus 17, 23 and 36 and a brilliant burst of Vivaldi offer historical ambiance, yet it is to The Cure that Coppola returns to finish her piece – the mournful All Cats Are Grey underlying that this party is certainly over. It’s an eclectic mix of tracks from one of history’s most enigmatic figures – and a richly rewarding compilation.”
(by Liz Beardsworth)
Wow, that's not a comment, it's the Bible of Soundtrack Reviews!
So, the film is 5 stars, Kirsten's performance 5 stars and the background music is... 5 stars!
I wish I can watch it soon again, although my boyfriend prefers rewatching "The Departed" (a testosterone issue I guess). I quoted this review because it summed up the first impressions the movie conveyed to me.
i'm so glad you liked MA, kendra!!
i'm getting desparate to see it, if they ever decide to screen it in Greece :(
So, then You're Greek! Another Mediterranean chick on Jake Weird, you'll know that the Queen of Spain, Sofía, has Greek origins, now I get what your "gr" is about...
XXX for you too Simon. I must confess here and now I don't understand the last abbreviation OO!
And Hail the Boo!
Simon, I love the YouTube videoclips you find.
(Take care, eh?).
yeah, the gr stands for Greece (my nick shows a complete lack of imagination :p).
queen sofia isn't exactly greek.her family comes from germany (they were "imposed" on us by our stronger allies, long story), but they were raised in greece,so they consider themselves greek.
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