Marie Antoinette (2006)

In 1770, a young Austrian girl (Kirsten Dunst) is sent to France to become the wife of the Dauphin of France (Jason Schwartzman), who will eventually become King Louis XVI. Based on MARIE ANTOINETTE: THE JOURNEY by Antonia Fraser and directed by Sofia Coppola (LOST IN TRANSLATION). Visually, the film is a triumph! The sumptuous look is courtesy of K.K. Barrett's and Veronica Melery's stunning production design and Milena Canonero's Oscar winning costume design. Though based on Fraser's non fiction book, Coppola doesn't strive for historical accuracy (not to mention its anachronistic pop/rock score). Coppola is extremely sympathetic to the French Queen, everything is seen through her eyes and it isn't until the film's last half hour that the revolution is rushed through. Dunst's Marie Antoinette is portrayed as a naive girl, bored and eventually seduced by the decadent French court. I admired it very much as an exercise in style but the movie runs out of steam toward the end. With Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Molly Shannon, Steve Coogan, Rose Byrne, Marianne Faithfull, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hardy, Mathieu Almalric, Danny Huston and Asia Argento.