This film should come with a label reading, "WARNING: Two and a half hours long, and in French." I mean, look, I went to film school. I know things. I care. I can appreciate fine art. But two and a half hours? In French? That's asking a lot. Of anyone. Even French people.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's a good movie. It's a period piece, and the best thing you can say about a period piece is that everything looks right -- the costumes, the castles, the décolletage. You know, because I'm such an expert on 16th century France. Look, it roughly resembles a Renaissance fair, okay?
The rub is thus: It is the age of the Catholic/Protestant wars. Marie (Mélanie Thierry), a beautiful aristocrat, falls in love with Henri (Gaspard Ulliel), a dashing person of the male persuasion. Marie's father, however, has promised her hand to the Prince of Montpensier (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet). When said Prince is called to battle (tally-ho!), Marie is left in the care of the Count Chabannes (Lambert Wilson -- a name blessedly free of acute accents), only to discover that he too yearns for her. Basically, everyone wants to bone this one chick.
From here on out, the film gets extremely convoluted. Since all the young men look extremely similar, and all want the same thing (i.e. sex), it becomes increasingly difficult to tell them apart. The ending is also quite a downer. I'm not sure if it's been changed from the 1622 novella on which it is based, but holy Jesus, 1622 was a hell of a long time ago. Did I mention this thing is almost three hours long?
Sum...ology: Two and a half hours long, and in French. But the swordplay is cool.
THE PRINCESS OF MONTPENSIER opens
from Sundance Selects on April 15 in New York (at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
and the IFC Center) and in LA, with a national roll-out following.
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment!