Sofia Coppola Makes Marie Antoinette of Flesh and Spirit.

Rating: 7/10 (29 May 2008)

Sofia Coppola works her magic here with Kirsten Dunst embodying the Austrian princess Marie, who was fourteen years old when her empress mother sent her off to France to marry Louis XVI. In what could have become another epic, costume-drama, Coppola creates an alternate chick-flick with gossip, bitchery, parties and shopping - and the sugar-rush flows as the movie keeps a loose time-frame. The dazzling on-location filming is greatly combined with the slang and rock music that crushes all the barriers this movie's already boxed in by. And although the last run seems a bit halting (as Marie Antoinette is attacked by the angry mobs), I think it was never Coppola's intention to make something to big out of this project - but the cinematic bravado of the first half is truly astonishing and finds Coppola in her truly right place, and creates a gorgeous movie with wit, intelligence and passion.