Marie Antoinette

(USA, 2005, 122 minutes)

In 1768, Austrian royal teenager Marie Antoinette is married off to the eldest son of the King of France, and sent off to Versailles where she feels out of place, uncared for by her husband, and adrift in court politics that go over her head. Not quite a biography but more of a portrait of the last queen of France as a teenager lost in an adult world; the approach may not be to everyone’s taste but, despite a few awkward flourishes, the result is a melancholy coming-of-age tale carried by its gloriously stylish handling and a strong lead performance. The film was entirely shot on location in Versailles and other French castles, with unprecedented cooperation from the French government, but its premiere in competition in the 2006 Cannes Film Festival was roundly booed by the French critics.

Columbia Pictures presents, in association with Pricel and Tohokushinsha, an American Zoetrope production. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Rose Byrne, Asia Argento, Molly Shannon, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston, Marianne Faithfull, Mary Nighy, Sebastian Armesto, Jamie Dornan, Aurore Clément, Guillaume Gallienne, James Lance, Al Weaver, Tom Hardy; and Steve Coogan. Directed by Sofia Coppola; produced by Ross Katz and Sofia Coppola; screenplay by Sofia Coppola, based on the book Marie Antoinette: A Journey by Antonia Fraser; music producer, Brian Reitzell; director of photography, Lance Acord; production designer, K. K. Barrett; costume designer, Milena Canonero; film editor, Sarah Flack.

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