Bad casting ruined what could have been an interesting film

Rating: 3/10 (17 October 2006)

This movie could have achieved treating Marie Antoinette as a tragic figure in history had the casting been better. Marie Antoinette was 14 years old when she was cold heartedly shipped off to France, but Kirstin Dunst-already in her 20's, trying to project the inner feelings of a 14 year old just wasn't credible. Franco Zefferelli made film history when he cast two 14 year olds as Romeo & Juliet. They gave what felt like the authentic aura of their youth. Kirstin Dunst, a veteran actress since she was a child, absolutely did not project that innocence or youthfulness, or loneliness particular to adolescents. Hence, from the get-go, Marie A. is not a terribly sympathetic character. And as the movie progresses, and Marie Antoinette's situation of being sheltered, spoiled, bored, sexually rejected, etc. she is still not a sympathetic character, because we don't feel the character of a child scarred early in life. (by being taken from her home to a foreign culture, etc) Jason Schwarzman was also a terrible choice for Louis XVI. He was simply too goofy, and his sexuality made no sense as it was portrayed in the movie. Overall, a better cast of actors (and better performances) could have saved this movie, as there was a slow moving plot, but if the characters are not believable, then the movie is lost.