MARIE ANTOINETTE

Director: Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation)
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Steve Coogan, Rip Torn

The young(er) Coppola is generally considered a rising star of cinema. The Virgin Suicides was a successful first film, and Lost in Translation was an even better received work. Unsurprisingly I was extremely interested to see where Miss Coppola would take us next. And that place was the story of a pampered and self-involved teenager, who just happens to be a queen. One who gets her head chopped off, although the film ends before that episode. Marie Antoinette as a film had a great deal that was unique and well done, and is a worthy next step after Miss Coppola's previous works. This is not to say there wasn't a great deal to criticize, because there was.

Antoinette sets the young French 18th century queen to a modern alt-rock score, and shows the entire court in a very modern persona. Certainly this is not an accident. Prior to seeing the film I thought it certain that this was going to be an excellent statement film about the excesses of today - our 'let them eat cake' society. After seeing the film, I'm very disappointed that it didn't live up this expectation. I actually can't help but wonder if Miss Coppola was showing quite the opposite of what I expected. I'm afraid that she was saying we should be sympathetic with her overindulged teenager on screen. I saw very little in this film that denegrated Antoinette, and quite a bit that seemed to accept and applaud her. If Coppola is saying that we should be sympathetic and understanding to the give me, give me, give me aspects of our culture, our Paris Hiltons and spoiled suburbanites, I will go so far as to say Miss Coppola is an overindulged moron. May she choke on her father's Pinor Noir.

However, this is not for certain. I may simply be misreading the film. It was a good enough (and ambiguous enough) story that I could have done so. If I am wrong, I certainly apologize. Yeah, like Sophia cares.

With the thematic issues aside, this film was quite interesting cinematically. There was an endless plodding quality to the picture (no doubt reminiscent of Antoinette's structured, plodding life while she was trapped in the marble jail that was Versailles). The most unique aspect to the story was simply the feminine viewpoint from which the story is seen (this was also quite prevelant in each of her earlier pictures). I'm not really talking about the clothes and cakes and parties that filled this film (although there is certainly a female aspect to these things). I'm thinking more of the way these things, and others, separate the Antoinette character from her husband. Marie Antoinette might just be the most femine character that has ever been filmed.

Beyond all of this, there were other unique visuals and viewpoints in this film that are quite worth seeing. Coppola has an interesting perspective in her films that I'll call "the present tense". This makes for an intriguing experience the first time you see her movies, although I fear that they aren't nearly as enjoyable the second time around. This is especially true of Lost in Translation, and I think it will be true of Antoinette as well.

On the downside, this film was simply not very entertaining. The plodding life of parties and romantic affairs, got old 30 minutes before we stopped seeing them. Really old.

All in all, Antoinette was an interesting and unique cinematic experience. It was also a bit boring, and like Lost in Translation will play better the first time you see it than on subsequent viewings. Worst of all, it may have gotten it's moral compass twisted around.

Standouts: The cinema, and visuals and unique viewpoint. I liked the modern music a lot.
Blowouts: The thematic material, and it was really quite a boring flick.

Grade: B+