Misleading.

Rating: 6/10 (22 October 2006)

It was a fairly good movie, up until the end. I had forgiven the complete lack of even attempted accents (ie, Dunst, an Austrian who sounded American, and Rip Torn, the King of France, who sounded like his usual haggard self.) I actually enjoyed the use of modern music during the montages showing the decadence of the young queen's lifestyle. And the movie itself, though a bit underdone in parts, had good acting, and a well-defined and well-executed plot. Until the end.
The movie ends with the royal couple fleeing the Palace of Versailles, which is on the verge of being stormed by a mob of hundreds...and the next shot shows the interior of the palace the next day, completely destroyed. And...that's how the movie ends. Not only is it incredibly abrupt, but also inconclusive. Those who don't know the fate of Marie-Antoinette may have actually walked out of the theatre thinking she escaped, and survived the revolution, when in actuality, she became one of the first people to ever be beheaded by guillotine. You'd think that in a movie about the reign of Marie-Antoinette, her infamous death might be included...but it wasn't.
Sofia Coppola dropped the ball, in my opinion...as did whoever wrote it (unless that was Sofia, too.) I walked out of the theatre yesterday, wondering why I spent $9.25 to see it. I recommend that people who don't care about history, or common sense, go see this movie, because it is enjoyable overall. Just don't expect a stellar ending.