So, dear reader, following on from all the hoo-ha at the recent Cannes film festival, Lady J and I decided that we would try our darnedest to cling on to the zeitgeist and see Sofia Coppola's "Marie-Antoinette". Completely FABULOUS. Filmed in gorgeous macaroon-o-vision (the wardrobe colours were apparently inspired by the little cakes served at the Ladurée tearooms in Paris), and full of beautiful people having a decadent time - well, the whole thing was just like a slice of a rhino75 weekend - but with bigger hair and better shoes. Some may find the tone of the piece slightly critical - when the young princess arrives from Austria at the French court she is met with a silent disdain that prompted Lady J and me to utter as one: "Typical bleedin' French welcome". There is also a wonderful moment when the complicated protocol of the daily "dressing ceremony" prompts Kirsten Dunst (for it is she) to comment "This is ridiculous!" "This, Madame, is Versailles," her French lady-in-waiting answers. Substitute "France" for Versailles, and they could be talking about my experiences in the Post Office. The production design is magnificent, and I thought the contemporary soundtrack (Sofia and I both have a soft spot for Phoenix and there's a wonderful masked ball to that old Siouxsie classic "Hong Kong Garden") worked really well. If I have one criticism, it's that the film is just a teeny bit too long. There is only so much Kirsten wandering around in a field I wish to see, thank you. On the other hand, I wouldn't have minded seeing a lot more of the luscious Jamie Dornan - surely Ireland's finest export? But I digress (again). For the rest of this month, my mission will be: "to be a little more like Marie-Antoinette" (though obviously, minus the head-chopping bit). I plan to start by telling more angry people to eat cake and simpering behind a fan. I'm sure it will be a great success.
12 comments:
I find it hard to believe that you can be ANYMORE like Marie Antoinette! :)
But I'm sure you will try!
Is Silent Disdain a typical French welcome? I bet it's quite typical in Hollywood, and New York as well :)
Thank you Rob. I have been practicing wearing a crown and, as I write, I'm trying to buy an ornately decorated carriage (plus horses and footmen) on EBay. Not a easy to find as you might think...
Yes Rob, silent disdain is a typical French welcome. We have trouble dealing with English expats who tell poor people to eat cake while riding ornately decorated carriages and a crown.
Silence.
By the way, the movie sucked and Kirsten Dunst has ONE facial expression throughout the movie. I did like Jamie Dornan though and I must admit I found Louis XVI kind of yummy in a very geek kinda way.
Ooooo Micke, touched a nerve have we? :D Well I liked it and so did Lady J. I really don't see how you could think it sucked -it does EXACTLY what it says on the packet. Maybe you have to be English/American to appreciate it? ;P
yes, you touched a nerve, the sciatica nerve. Now I think I'm starting to have the same problem as you. This little nerve in my leg is stuck... am in pain, oh I'm so rusty.
Wanna go to "Paris Blogue t-il?" with me next week?
Send me an sms if you can.
I remember dissecting the nerves out of frog legs when I was at medical school. We'd connect them to a graph thingy then put an electric current through them to make pretty patterns.
Well here you go, Nomad, you Africans have to stop with this voodoo thing. You touch the nerves of a Frog in Africa and someone gets sciatica in France; not fair!
Truly you should do this for a living. It is a wonderful but honest and well written critique of a film. You've missed your calling rhino!!
I haven't seen this movie, but I just saw Poseidon... shot in soggy-vision. I loved it but only without dialogue. You know that's the mark of an excellent action film... like Point Break!
Btw, Josh Lucas is better in Fashion Victim.
Boys will be boys. I hated having to dissecte frogs, now I know why!Rhino wear your tiara or crown proudly. You must practice though, to not look a fool. You start with a book as I had to learn this myself. One foot in front of the other not normal walking but one foot in front of the other. Practice!!
oh dear! well we agree on Jamie Dornan, bless his smouldering heart!
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