fresh: This is a perfect movie. As good as they come and as well made as they get. Like Gandhi or Mozart never will there be another movie about Marie Antionette. An ace in the hole this one is. It's perfect and complete. There is no need for another.
Why do I love it so: Two good reasons. Here we have a subject much like Paris Hilton, but instead of making fun of a person like that here we are invited to sympathise. This movie is not a criticism of Marie Antoinette as it easily could have been (How many of us bad mouth Paris Hilton), it is just a picture into her life. Her exhorbitant, extravagant, ridiculously dreamy life.
Sofia Coppola does an incredible feat and pulls off a story about a person who basically does nothing and is about nothing but lives in the most extravagant place in the world. I'm of course talking about the palace of Versailles, where the movie was shot. By the way, if there ever was a lock on oscar nods for costume, makeup, set design, and cinematography this movie has it. It is one of the best looking movies ever made. Having said that here's another feat. We have all these great specatacles but none of them overwhelm the story. ln fact most of the jokes are subtle, and brought to our attention by the great acting chops of Kirsten Dunst (who I haven't liked all that much in the past) and Jason Schwartzman (who is quickly becoming a seriously respected actor) who have the confidence to underplay their roles in order to create an absurdist atmosphere between the normal people they are and the ridiculous wealth that is bestowed upon them. For us history buffs, recognition of those tiny bits of reality that poke their head into the movie at various times are especially gratifying.
All of this goes back to Sofia Coppola's direction. From what I saw this movie is flawless. From the transitions through montages to the modern rock music to the unabashed American accents, everything works in this film. Like her fathere she has great visual style and although I probably could not quote a great deal of lines from the movie, I could describe many a great shot of artistic and visual delights from ballroom dancing, to morning breakfast, to fireworks, to sunrises. Many people complained about the lack of a guillotine but I think the last shot says it all. I didn't find anything at all wrong with it.
Here's the second reason. Not only is this movie great, it's important. It's important because this type of movie is very rare. It is about a woman written and directed by a woman. It has a feminime touch to it. Not saying that this is better just saying its not prevalent. As we know most movies are about men, they are directed by men and they are written by men. Even in a movie about Queen Elizabeth or Joan of Arc, most of the characters are men. This movie is different. Most of the supporting characters are woman. This is great since it gives great character actresses such as Molly Shannon and Asia Argento worth while roles that usually don't exist.
I was not completely blown away by "Lost in Translation" but this movie proved to me that Sofia has earned a seat at the table with all the other A-list directors. I'm calling at least an Oscar nod for her directing. Best picture nod might be a stretch.
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