Farewell, My Queen is an absolute

Smashing little entertainment; a ripping yarn impeccably shot, written, performed, composed, and designed.  It is an old-school film that hurtles along at breakneck speed, and achieves everything it sets out to achieve in one hundred minutes, while still leaving the viewer wanting more at the end.

"Yes, your wig does make you taller than me, your Majesty."

I wanted Renee and I to see this at the theater last Spring but it never worked out.  (And, by the way, the Wife tells me the Cinearts "Dome" in Pleasant Hill is closing up shop soon.  Very sad.)

The film is based on a novel of the same name by Chantal Thomas, which I am now very eager to buy and read for myself.  The story concerns three days in the Palace at Versailles just after the Bastille has been stormed.  The court goes in to complete paranoid chaos as to what to do in response, to save the monarchy, and to save their heads.

Queen Marie Antoinette has a reader employed at the court, and decides that the best way to save her lover's life, a Duchess, is for her reader and the Duchess to switch roles and "costumes" in a carriage bound for Switzerland (Basel! Where my Dad lives!) so that if they decide to execute the Duchess, they will have executed the reader instead.

I gather that Ms Thomas must have been quite familiar with this juicy, perhaps apocryphal  tale of the court, and decided to write the novel from the reader's perspective.  The reader is madly in love with the Queen, herself.

Diane Kruger plays the Queen.  Lea Seydoux plays the reader.  And, Virginie Leydoyen plays the Duchess.  Benoit Jacquot directs.  It was shot by Romain Winding, and there is a beautiful, exquisitely and tastefully utilized,  original score by Bruno Coulais.

Plus, I had a "Hey, it is that guy!" moment with the film, recognizing a French actor from a different French film that I love, without remembering his name.  That means I am seeing enough French films now for that to occur.  Pretty damn cool! (The actor's name is Jacques Boudet and he also appears in The Names of Love.)

Supremely highly recommended.  Buy or rent on iTunes, or buy the bluray or dvd  for yourself for at home.

************

And, then I promptly fell asleep during Godard's latest, Film Socialisme, about one third the way through, which says more about the film than my tiredness in this instance.






Mwah, ... 
Love you all,
Ardent

My Sweetie, my cats, French films, and French wine will save this day.

This whole Todd Akin thing has got me really depressed and angry.  I wanted to do a v long post about the Sight & Sound Poll today, and even started writing, ... but, ...

"This tiny pink pistol is so cute.  And it matches my clothes."

I am going to watch 8 Femmes -- which I just bought on Friday last -- drink French wine and wait for my Sweetie to come home.

Politics can tear a soul to shreds on certain days.

Catherine Deneuve, Ludivine Sagnier, Virginie Ledoyen, and my lovely Wife can save me, though. And Molly and Mavis, too.

All my Monday love, Angels! I will get that Sight & Sound report to you soon, I swear.  And, an 8 Femmes review.






Ciao,
mds

I love my Apple teevee because

Right now I am rolling through Netflix's massive collection of streaming French romcoms of the aughts, watching one just about every other night.

They are not always great, or even good sometimes, but they hit me in a sweet spot like dessert. These films are truffles, rich luxurious barely naughty indulgences.  And I am always left wiping the chocolate from my mouth after they are done.

But, on my journeys through Romcommedia Francaise (my passport was stamped with a kiss, mais oui!) I have discovered one film that it is not available streaming, 8 Femmes, from 2002, starring:  Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Ledoyen, Ludivine Sagnier, Fanny Ardant (what a great name), and Emmanuelle Beart.  Oh, dear.  How have I missed this? So, I will track down this film and watch it as soon as possible.  It is a period chateau murder mystery with an all female cast and singing and dancing, too!

This is my type of dessert.

Watch this space for more news and pictures of my journeys.  There will be lots of postcards, I promise.











Mwah, ... 

I saw this delightful little souffle

Last night, streaming on Netflix.  The perfect antidote to Team France losing yesterday, and The Queen of Versailles.

I will expound more on this film, and the thrilling London 2012 Women's Football Semifinals later today, tomorrow, or as soon as I can.









Mwah, ... 

Virginie Ledoyen.  Ooh-la-la, indeed!