Marie Antoinette is one of history's most (in)famous monarchs. It's not like she did anything special for her people, considering that after her reign, France was faced with many debts to settle. However, she certainly had that je-ne-sais-quoi about her, and so does Sofia Coppola's movie. It is not a perfect movie in any way (it's not even a well-done movie), but it will surely amuse for its two hour length.
Every single shot of "Marie Antoinette" is a pleasure to look at, beautiful and full of rich colors. However, this cannot be due to wonderful filmmaking - we're talking about Kirsten Dunst and Versailles. Dunst is gorgeous, and the role suits her perfectly. No matter how many myths have been told about the queen's vanity, and no matter how many shoes Copolla fits into a shot (there is even a pair of blue Converse All-Stars), she rises above these shallow approaches to acting, and makes Marie a vulnerable, observant woman. As for Versailles, the castle is a character of its own, and one of the most important aspects of this movie. As the curtain drops, on her way to the guillotine, Marie Antoinette looks sadly through the window of her carriage onto the wonderful Versailles scenery, the last words are "I'm saying good-bye", and so are we.
The problems with this movie are not its stars, the direction, and not even the script. The problem is that it's preposterously egoistical. The first and the last half-hour are interesting-enough, with character development and interesting portrayal of the era. However, there is an hour in between that drags along most boringly. It is such a shame that Copolla blew her chance to make a great movie, and it would've been great. Instead, "Marie Antoinette" feels like a Versailles slumber party, hosted by wonderful people, rich and shallow.