>>REVIEW
MARIE ANTOINETTE
STARRING Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman
DIRECTED BY Sofia Coppola
Opens Friday, October 20
Check listings
Opening a period drama with a rock anthem by the Gang of Four might seem like an odd soundtrack choice, but with Marie Antoinette the rules of the genre need not be applied. While there’s still plenty of frill and silly wigs and the requisite costume ball, Sofia Coppola essentially threw the genre rulebook out the window and has delivered her most audacious film yet.
As in her previous two features, The Virgin Suicides (1999) and Lost in Translation (2003), Coppola continues to show confidence in scriptwriting, character direction and in marrying images with sound. Also consistent is the theme of a conflicted young woman in search of identity. For this reason, Coppola seemed to be the perfect choice to tell the story of Marie Antoinette, the Archduchess of Austria who was plucked from her home, married to Louis XVI and subsequently became the queen of France all before the ripe age of 20.
In terms of size and scope, Marie Antoinette is unlike anything Coppola has done in the past and sometimes feels as though it may have been a bit too big for her to handle. The story at times teeters along a fine line, struggling to keep its momentum. But despite its few shortcomings, Coppola keeps it together and keeps us interested by wonderfully pushing the boundaries of what a period film can be.
Instead of the usual old-English speak, we get straight-up teen talk; and when the kids want to act up and gossip like high schoolers, they do so freely. It all perfectly suits the characters and story of Marie Antoinette, herself a troubled teenager, and manages to tear down the wall that often alienates period characters from young audiences. Coppola takes liberties with the film’s music as well and does so quite strategically, moving seamlessly from classical pieces to rock songs by bands like New Order and The Strokes.
Like so many biopics that have come before, the challenge of efficiently presenting a person’s life on film sets in about three quarters of the way through Marie Antoinette’s two hours and change. It’s more a problem with editing and pacing than anything else, but still not enough reason to skip the film.
Coppola’s refreshing vision and Kirsten Dunst’s rapturous performance as Antoinette are too good to miss. Dunst especially shows that she can do anything with a good role – even make you feel sympathy for one of France’s most hated historical figures. And Coppola proves once again that she’s arguably the foremost filmmaker telling stories about young women today. |
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