Marie Antoinette

I avoided this movie, by Sofia Coppola, even on video, because the critics were not kind, and even Suzanne said it was disappointing.  But then I read an interview with Kirsten Dunst, where she talks about how hurt she was by the reception the movie got, and it inspired me to give it a chance (she's insanely earnest and lovely).

I was pleasantly surprised - there's a lot more "there" there than I expected, despite the focus on spoiled teenagers living it up in luxury.  Of course, my expectations were very low, but I thought it was quite beautiful, and a quick check of Wikipedia makes it clear that it's quite historically accurate (though the actors are clearly older than 14 when they wed and events toward the end of the movie are compressed and rearranged a little).  I think I knew that it was at least partly based on Antonia Fraser's book, but I had forgotten.  Both the book and movie are obviously attempts to correct perceptions of M.A., who was not nearly the caricature that history has painted her (e.g., she never said "Let them eat cake.")  So I'm a bit biased in favor of this effort to improve her image (I'm similarly fascinated by a new bio of Cleopatra, which reminds us that she was a strong leader, not just a seductive vixen).

Anyway, I especially liked the first half of the movie, where you watch the sweet and rather clueless Marie adjust to life in the court in France.  I thought the last 1/3 of the movie was a bit slow, and I don't think it would have killed Sofia to include a little info about what was going on in France at the time, both in and outside the court (and a few less minutes of M.A. staring into space).  I realize Sofia had a certain goal, of presenting M.A.'s perspective, but there was barely a nod to the seismic shifts going on during her time and M.A. couldn't possibly have been completely unaware.