Marquise

Emotional and realistic - I liked this movie. It’ll make your day - you certainly won’t be bored. And it’s gripping too, especially in the closing scenes. Sure, a couple of things could have been done better; perhaps I would have added something, but I am very pleased with it and give it high marks (mainly for the stunning Sophie Marceau). (2013.07.28)

A delightful biopic of an actress from the time of Louis XIV. Since all knowledge about the lives and careers of theater actresses before the invention of photography and later film is always dependent on contemporary customs, there is always ample room for artistic license. We know roughly that Mademoiselle Du Parc (1633-1668) was a dancer and actress, collaborated with Molière, was the subject of poetry by Corneille, and that Racine wrote "Andromaque" (1667) specifically for her. At the royal court, she mingled with composer Lully and poisoner La Voisin. This provides enough material for many novels and other dramatizations, so there's no reason not to enjoy this charming film full of enthusiasm for 17th-century theatrical art. (2024.07.29)

Sophie Marceau is undoubtedly a charming woman with an extraordinary amount of personal charm. She represents the type of actress who only needs to flash a fleeting smile or cheekily wink an eye and the audience is on her side. However, in the case of Marquise, that is far from enough. The story presents tiresome costume boredom, where the only value, besides the presence of Sophie and a few other famous names from French cinema in the 90s, is the generously conceived set starting with the costumes and ending with the spaces of the Versailles castle complex. The film failed due to its dramatic incapability, it doesn't work as a story, and its characters are also dysfunctional. That's strange, as the screenplay was a team effort, and yet it became the project's Achilles' heel. Overall impression: 35%. (2022.01.31)

I needed to loosen up after a pretty rough French crime investigation film and as soon as I noticed Sophie Marceau’s boobs, I didn’t have to think twice about this movie. As I watched it, it reminded me a lot of Shakespeare in Love. Except for the difference that here, the lead is Sophie, who literally slept her way to the top. It was nice, nothing grand, but I couldn’t imagine a better movie before going to bed. Those corsets look amazing on her… (2014.09.01)

Heavily cast costume boredom without any screenplay idea and absolutely without any juice, or how Sophie Marceau missed the mark... (2014.09.04)