Marie Antoinette

I think the last time Sophia and Kirsten made a movie together it was Virgin Suicides. And based on content, I think Virgin was a better movie.

What Sophia does well is show the grandeouse nature of the time period, poke fun at the ridiculous rituals of the royal court and portrary how Marie's less than conservative personality rubbed against the grain of the restraints and expectations of being Queen of France.

Marie, becomes wife at age 15 to the heir to the French throne. He's a shy and awkward boy who doesn't speak much to his wife or have any passions other than his key collection. Bored out of her mind, Marie finds other fun festivities to engage in, including friends that are entertaining but not approved of by the courts.

Her problems arise when the King of France dies making her queen at age 18. Not knowing how to deal with the pressures and obligations of her new status, including producing an heir to the throne, her formerly accepted fun-loving ways are shunned and then blamed for the country's economic distress.

The film was too long, even though is was visually appealling. It didn't express anything new or even pit nobleman vs peasants. There wasn't much internal tension or intrigue and the storyline lacked dialogue. It made me feel bored as, I imagine, Marie was- but I only had to watch for an hour and 1/2 and didn't have to live it.

Dunst wasn't a bad Marie based on what she had to work with, but I would prefer to see her in Interview with a Vampire again or even Spiderman.

The movie trailer made this film seem like it would be an edgy Marie Antoinette with hip music and an interesting viewpoint. But it was just a let down.

Go for the scenery, or go if you want to make out. It's kind of like a soap opera, if you miss a year or two, you still know the storyline and can catch up well before the credits.

Worth the money: $$ 1/2