Most of the criticism of Marie Antoinette is, as far as I'm concerned, thinly veiled cattiness about Sofia Coppola herself. Some of it's not even veiled at all (coughDanaStevenscough).

Not that the film doesn't have some fairly major flaws, mind you, but it's really NOT about how much fun Sofia Coppola thinks it is to buy shoes.

Some of it's not even veiled at all (coughDanaStevenscough).

Thank you. Dana Stevens and Andrew O'Hehir were the American critics I was thinking of when I wrote that. I do think it was partly about how much fun it is to buy shoes (and eat cakes and go hunting) because having fidelity to experience seems to be very important to Coppola but she was also putting that in a wider context.

I enjoyed The Prestige, but I really, really feel like I need to see it again before I can say how much I enjoyed it. If that makes any sense.

But my crush on David Bowie continues unabated! Of course, he'd have to lead a pogrom against cute fluffy kittens in order to put a dent in my crush at this point.

I think it was partly about how much fun it is to buy shoes (and eat cakes and go hunting)

Well, yes -- I'm not saying she doesn't think buying shoes is fun. But most of the really negative reviews have boiled the movie down to "OMG having money is TEH AWESOME!" which is just wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start.

shrift, have you seen this? It's the cruellest thing I've ever watched Bowie do.

Spoilers for Extras season 2.

Well, yes -- I'm not saying she doesn't think buying shoes is fun. But most of the really negative reviews have boiled the movie down to "OMG having money is TEH AWESOME!" which is just wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start.

We share a mind on this, I'd say.

Well, yes -- I'm not saying she doesn't think buying shoes is fun. But most of the really negative reviews have boiled the movie down to "OMG having money is TEH AWESOME!" which is just wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start.

Right, and which seems to translate to "OMG being an internationally renowned director is TEH AWESOME!"

Is this some kind of LOST IN TRANSLATION backlash I don't understand? I mean, I know plenty of people didn't like LiT, and those who did like it almost always LOVED it (myself included), but I never felt it had the omnipresence of acclaim or cultural cahce that fuels that kind of backlash usually.

I agree completely. Though I have to say, my one comment coming out of Marie was, "I think they had way more fun making that that I just had watching it."

I enjoy my atmospheric period pieces...Orlando, Restoration, New World, etc., but I found myself not particularly caring about anything in the film except for the pretty.

Then again, my tension-o-meter may have been broken by The Last King of Scotland."

I'm at work so no YouTubing for me, and I shall remain blissfully ignorant of any David Bowie cruelty.

Right, and which seems to translate to "OMG being an internationally renowned director is TEH AWESOME!"

I don't know about film critics, but I can tell you that historians of France are very annoyed that, because of her clout, Coppola was able to make a big-budget picture that gets the superficial details right (costumes, furniture, etc.) and thus seems historically accurate to the average viewer but is actually way off-base when it comes to a basic understanding of the historical events, people, and ideas of the Revolution.

I don't know about film critics, but I can tell you that historians of France are very annoyed that, because of her clout, Coppola was able to make a big-budget picture that gets the superficial details right (costumes, furniture, etc.) and thus seems historically accurate to the average viewer but is actually way off-base when it comes to a basic understanding of the historical events, people, and ideas of the Revolution.

Hmm. Anybody else see some irony in their objection being based on the potential ignorance of the masses? I mean, SC never claimed to be providing that kind of history lesson, did she?