Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette

[smartarse]

Marie Antoinette", the long-awaited feature from Oscar-winning US director Sofia Coppola, was booed by audiences at the Cannes Film Festival.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/05/24/060524103759.plpob73q.html

 

[ballroombeliever]

I had a feeling this film would be bad
Not really sure why though

 

[Scott]

Hmmm...

I'd be interested to learn the reasoning. Perhaps,it's too homogenised-or too Americanised?

 

[Erin]

Well... that's a shame, no?

 

[thehepburn]

Or maybe it just plain sucked?

 

[mellowdrama]

Hmmm...

I'd be interested to learn the reasoning. Perhaps,it's too homogenised-or too Americanised?

From Reuters:

"To me, before I worked on this story she was a symbol of decadence and frivolity," Coppola, watched by her director father Francis Ford Coppola, told the news conference.
"It was very interesting to read and research more about Marie Antoinette and find out more about the human experience of this young girl who went to Versailles when she was 14, and how she developed in the court of Versailles."
Coppola's is a costume drama with a modern twist, with striking bright pinks and yellows lighting up the screen and, most notably, New Romantic tracks interspersed with opera and chamber music from the 18th century.
When Antoinette and her entourage sneak out of Versailles to attend a masked ball in Paris, people dance to a pop soundtrack as if at a modern day disco. One of the songs featured is Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy."

I was going to say something smartalecky about nepotism, but thought better of it. Someone else will have to say it.. Chef hat smiley. Apropos of nothing.

 

[VainJane]

Maybe some of the French are still pissed at Marie Antoinette

 

[Caroliiine]

Maybe Kirsten Dunst's acting was really that bad

I want to see it for Jamie Dornan though. He's incredibly good-looking AND he has an Irish accent! I hope he didn't lose it for the film.

 

[Harumi]

Well, for an American director, to come in France, at the most prestigious French film festival, to present a movie about a French mythical symbol... played by a Hollywood actress... I'll just say Coppola does have balls.
Don't get me wrong, she is very respected here (her two first movies got rare reviews in the french press), but we are SOOOO protective and snootty about our historic heritage. The fact that it is an American (even worst, Hollywood) production was controversial from the start in here. Alain Delon refused to play Louis XV because it was an American production (the same man plays in French bad TV series without problem).
Typically French reaction.
Just curious if the audience was only made of French viewers or if it was a mix of international critics. That could make a huge difference.

 

[Cosette]

I have such high hopes for this film and I am so, so excited to see it... so now I can't help but feel a little worried that I'm going to be let down...

Still curious as ever, though...

 

[Caroliiine]

Well, for an American director, to come in France, at the most prestigious French film festival, to present a movie about a French mythical symbol... played by a Hollywood actress... I'll just say Coppola does have balls.
Don't get me wrong, she is very respected here (her two first movies got rare reviews in the french press), but we are SOOOO protective and snootty about our historic heritage. The fact that it is an American (even worst, Hollywood) production was controversial from the start in here. Alain Delon refused to play Louis XV because it was an American production (the same man plays in French bad TV series without problem).
Typically French reaction.
Just curious if the audience was only made of French viewers or if it was a mix of international critics. That could make a huge difference.

That reminds me of Memoirs of a Geisha, where a lot of Japanese people were offended that Chinese actors were playing the lead roles.

 

[Dylan.]

I love my sofia snobbish, delicate and all.
i just think she needs to lose that hack, dunst.
she sucked in virgin suicides and she will suck in this.

on with the head chopping scene!

 

[Mink]

France is protective of Marie-Antoinette in the sense they own her and hate her. The Americans, however, do the same with 9/11. It is ours and we hate it. Think about it.

 

[tifa]

i'm just sad they don't chop off her head

 

[Alliecat]

That reminds me of Memoirs of a Geisha, where a lot of Japanese people were offended that Chinese actors were playing the lead roles.

The main difference here is that Japanese and Chinese people actually do look different to the trained eye - and that while that 'trained eye' does tend to live mostly in Asia they are still a big market share, and so revenue earner. It was also the Chinese govt. that was offended, apparently banning the movie (but then that ban was more from a historical perspective). There is a far more recent dislike between Japanese and Chinese (and Korean and Japanese) then that of the French and the Court of Versaille.

Anyway back to the movie - I'm interested to see what Sophia has done with it - lots of mixed time periods and no doubt images. Should be interesting

 

[susie_bubble]

I know for a fact that this film isn't going to be historically accurate but if the audience can't see the film for what it is - which is a stylistic, surface-led film which focuses on aesthetic rather than fact - then I think it's a harsh critcisim of the film. I doubt the criticism is aimed at Sofia from a nationalistic point of view - I rather think it's because it isn't a typical period drama and some people might not get that. Using 80's bands as a soundtrack is just an example of that aesthetic that Coppola is going for - again, it might be a little too jarring for some audiences.


I'm still looking forward to seeing it despite criticism et all.

 

[Harumi]

I doubt the criticism is aimed at Sofia from a nationalistic point of view - I rather think it's because it isn't a typical period drama and some people might not get that. .

Well Sofia was welcomed with opened harms. She had access to parts of Versailles than even very prestigious French directors were barred from. So yeah, it is not blatant nationalism or anything.
As I said, she is respected here; it's pretty obvious she wasn't going to spaw some 'Man with an Iron mask' crap.
Yet, attacking herself to a woman who resonates so deeply in the French psychée (even today), she had a narrow margin. I sensed it would be either a triumph or a flop. From what I've heard, it's a very comtemplative and experimental film, without any real plot, just the portrait of a woman in the making. Maybe it's the lack of condemnation or judgement that people didn't appreciate. M-A is so hated you know
Anyway, I'll sure go and see it. Very excited about it, Sofia's awesome.

 

[eternitygoddess]

What's wrong with an American movie?

The French do get stuck up sometimes.

 

[cosmogrl5]

If Bow Wow is part of the movie's soundtrack, does that mean that the style of this movie is similar to that of Romeo and Juliet with Leo and Claire? If so, the edginess of the movie might have been too much for the audience to handle. I have a hard time believing that Kirsten's performance was completely to blame. She isn't the best actress ever, but I have always thought she was good in every role she played.

 

[Mink]

If Bow Wow is part of the movie's soundtrack, does that mean that the style of this movie is similar to that of Romeo and Juliet with Leo and Claire? If so, the edginess of the movie might have been too much for the audience to handle. I have a hard time believing that Kirsten's performance was completely to blame. She isn't the best actress ever, but I have always thought she was good in every role she played.

It's not the rapper. The rapper is BOW WOW. This woman's name who does the music is BOW WOW WOW.