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Jun 07, 2018howeshound rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A hidden gem. Sophia Coppola doesn't always hit gold but here she's created an imaginative, entertaining, superbly-acted and directed near-masterpiece. Visually she's true to the period, otherwise she's intent on its atmosphere, interaction of her characters and trying to bring the viewer into the feel of Marie Antoinette's life from her childhood in Austria to her bloody end. Kirsten Dunst is outstanding in the lead role. You start out sympathising with her, end up shaking your head at how far she has strayed from her roots and from reality. Those who are unshakeably attached to the myths of life at the turn of the 18th/19th centuries, that it was all powdered wigs and Mozart and sooooo much more genteel than today will object to Coppola's portrayal, the music she uses and her determination to remove the varnish from present day illusions of that period. Those who enjoy the art of film-making, it's ability to convey a message without beating you over the head with it, will like this.