Fluff, puff and a lot of hot air

Rating: 3/10 (4 November 2006)

Compared to Sofia Coppolas previous efforts, this film is a disaster of historical proportions. It's not a totally bad movie but it lacks depth and heart. At times it feels like an unwanted child, because it didn't turn out the way everybody imagined.
Marie Antoinette has little plot, but unlike the magical Lost in Translation, it creates VERY LITTLE EMOTION. And that's a major flaw. LIT was packed with emotion and you cared about the characters, in Marie Antoinette the people are very shallow. The performances are OK, but nobody gets a chance to shine. The direction by Sofia Coppola creates no contrasts, no real drama, no dialog and no great acting moments. It's like entering a beautiful room, sitting on a beautiful chair and staring at the wall for a couple of minutes.
There are a handful of really good sequences like a ladybug flying away or the scene with the elephant in the park, but the rest is a waste of time and money. And that's a darn shame, because it could have been good.
This movie has no real concept. It's meant to be punky and fresh but it isn't. It's not consequent enough. Neither is the film dreamy like the Virgin Suicides. Showing the sunlight breaking through the trees and people rolling in the grass or falling into bed is not very surprising if you use these tricks in every movie.
The use of 70ies and 80ies rock music in this biopic is OK, too, but it delivers not the same emotional impact like the songs in LIT or the dreamy soundtrack in Virgin Suicides.
I watched this movie on opening day, the theater was only half-full and the people that sat around me reacted negatively when the film ended. It just didn't work. I had a lot of info beforehand, so the situation was not surprising to me at all but I have to admit that three questions popped in my mind after leaving the theater: Who the hell directed Lost in Translation? Is Sofia Coppola a fraud? Why is there so much nepotism?
Just think about LIT with different leads, like David Hasselhoff and Paris Hilton for example. Would the story stand the test of time?
I give three stars for Marie Antoinette: One star for Milena Canonero, who will win another Oscar for her costumes. The second star for the brave decision to use modern music. The third star for the location, the Palace of Versailles.