Let them eat cake!

Last night I watched the recent cinematic interpretation of the life of Marie Antoinette (courtesy of Netflix). Shy of deep, thought-provoking dialogue, the movie is a visual delight. Filmed on site at the Palace of Versailles, the scenery, architecture, design elements and costumes are most pleasurable.

The story is of a youthful, Austrian mail order bride, who fails to “warm the royal jewels” shall I say, therefore producing no heirs. Finally, following a chat with her brother, King Louis XVI rises to the occasion, so to speak, and alas, not one but two fine-looking children enter the family. This is an amazing deed considering the enormously "public" life she is compelled to live. Not even pouncing pups, a constant flow of champagne, luscious petits fours, elegantly embellished shoes, baccarat tables and eventually a hamlet of her own seem to keep M-A content. And then the French Revolution begins to boil over which causes the monarchy 's downfall. Thank you, Sofia for not included the brutal elements of M-A’s final finish! Violence would have so blemished this artistic movie.

The music includes a lovely mix of period pieces such as sonatas, concertos and opuses as well as more contemporary numbers from such performers as Adam and the Ants and Bow Wow Wow. At times, it seemed I was watching a musical video on MTV rather than a movie.

Not until the end of the movie did I apprehend that I had been given a lesson in 18th century European history. Kirsten Dunst is fabulous as the compliant and stunning M-A complete with up-dos to envy any high school sophomore on prom night!