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February 15, 2007

Marie Antoinette - 5

This is a biopic about the queen of France (Kirsten Dunst), who at age 15 was married off by a noble Austrian family in order to create a political alliance. Marie is homesick initially and needs to adjust to the mores and different culture. This film is much more a character and history study about France in and King Louis XVI (a an overly stoic Jason Swartzman) than a plot. Director Sofia Coppola uses contemporary music, and colorful images to dive deep into the feeling of the times and Marie and the conflict of these feelings. She only partly succeeds, and the film is somewhat flat because the emotion and depth of the characters that she has to work with. Read Paul's more charitable review here.

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