Overwhelming decadence

Rating: Null/10 (6 November 2007)

Starring Kirsten Dunst, the mildly talented Jason Swartzman, nearly unrecognizable Molly Shannon and Judy Davis, and I challenge you to spot Marianne Faithful. Let's get the problem out of the way first: the film uses recent music, including Gang of Four. Not a good idea. Yes, I understand not only attempts to "sell" a movie to a younger audience, and to give a "flavor" of youth to the new monarchy, but this was NOT the way to do it. If anything, using more contemporary sounds  perhaps with traditional instruments  or some other exploration might have worked, but Sophia Coppola's directing fell down here. Okay, on to the rest of the film: It is SO much better than I expected! The sets, costuming, camera work, lighting, dialog, and acting were wonderful. The decadence was overwhelming, and though you NEVER see the impoverished, starving French peasants (because you're viewing the world through Marie), YOU KNOW they are out there, YOU know this is incredibly decadent, and you KNOW from your history what is coming. Marie's social and psychic transition from Austria to France is a surreal leap into the looking glass. Any excesses Marie found or created were to divert her attention from the crushing rituals and pettiness of the French courts. Had it not been for the score of "Marie Antoinette", I would have NO hesitations about this film. None.