focoproject.com

• Director: Sofia Coppola
• Genre: History/Biography/Drama
• Year: 2006

I hate to say it, but this might truly be the disappointment of the season. Having debuted on to the director’s stage with The Virgin Suicides, I was sure that young Coppola had nowhere to go but up. In this film, she had all the ingredients to make a hell of a film and yet, she failed to deliver in multiple ways. Do not get me wrong, this is not a bad feel, better than many, for sure, but it certainly is well below par what my expectations were.

Focusing on the controversial Queen of France, Maria Antoinette, from the moment she is taken from Austria to the day she is forced to leave Versailles, the story tells the downfall of a woman who once was received with enthusiasm. Except…it doesn’t. Perhaps afraid to upset too many people in one side or the other, the film never makes a stance and as a result is comes across as flightly and superficial. For example, if you wish to tell us that this woman drove France to ruin, show us more than her buying shoes, throwing extravagant parties and buying lots of trees, because in all honesty, it takes a whole lot more than that to drive an entire economy to ruin. I get the feeling that they try to make Maria Antoinette somewhat of a heroine, but despite brave acting on the part of Kristen Dunst, the directing falls well short and in the end she ends up looking shallow and without aim. The character flaunders throughout the movie and fails to truly root itself down.

There are some positive aspects to this movie. The set design looked fantastic, as did costuming. Cinematography was sub par and acting in some part shined, while at others it seemed somewhat forced. And there were some historical elements that made one chuckle at the ridiculous customs the French had at the time. So this movie is not entirely bad, but if I can save you from watching it at the theater? then I will probably have done you good. Wait for it on DVD.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Notes: Brief nudity, and adult situations, though I do not remember the language being bad at all, but then again, it could be that I am simply desensitized. All in all, I can see why this was booed off at the Cannes Festival.
Quote: Marie-Antoinette: This is ridiculous.
Comtesse de Noailles: This, Madame, is Versailles.