This is a totally girly film, with exquisite costumes, makeup, hairdos, sets and scenery! It tells the story of Marie Antoinette's arrival in France from Austria, and her subsequent marriage to Louis XVI and his ascension to the throne. Life is incredibly tedious in the royal court, and there is little for Marie to do but to go shopping for clothes and shoes, have her hair extravangantly styled, hold parties and masquerades and indulge in alcohol, drugs and adultery.
The soundtrack is notably quirky, as it is not music of the 1790s, but of the 1980s New Romantic bands, who mimicked the clothes and decadence of the Rococo era. Clever, and effective.
I couldn't help but love this Marie Antoinette. Kirsten Dunst is superb in the role, and portrayed the innocence and indulgence of the bored teenager, to the point where I actually could accept most of her excesses, given the circumstances.
Ultimately France did not love her wild spending and rumoured sexual deviances, so eventually the king and his wife were beheaded. This is not shown in the movie, but it is implied at the close, by the sudden turn of events. I don't feel I'm giving anything away by saying that, because I'm assuming most readers know the history of this anyway, but it is a sad ending.
Watch this film for the prettiness of it all - it will make you want to eat cake, or buy shoes!
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