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The Princess of Montpensier
| Released |
8 July 2011 |
| Director |
Bertrand Tavernier |
Starring
|
Mélanie Thierry, Lambert Wilson, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Gaspard Ulliel, Raphael Personnaz, Anatole de Bodinat, Eric Rulliat |
Writer(s)
|
Jean Cosmos, Francois-Olivier Rousseau, Bertrand Tavernier |
Producer(s)
|
Frédéric Bourboulon, Laurent Brochland, Eric Heumann |
| Origin |
France, Germany |
| Running Time |
139 minutes |
| Genre |
Action, drama, history |
| Rating |
TBC |
|
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All for one.
Sword fights, bloody wars and romantic battles are the norm in acclaimed director Bertrand Tavernier's period film, The Princess of Montpensier. Based on a seventeenth century short story of the same name, this epic revisits the Wars of Religion between French catholics and protestants in the sixteenth century and a typically suitable love triangle– or is it rectangle? I'm not sure.
The Princess of Montpensier revolves around Marie de Mézières (Mélanie Thierry) who upon falling in love with her cousin Henri de Guise, is forced by her father to upgrade and marry the Prince of Montpensier. The Prince, though, is soon called to war and she is left in the, erm, trustworthy hands of the Prince's former tutor Comte de Chabannes.
The Princess quickly becomes engaged in some way with all three while a fourth pretender, the heir to the throne Duc d'Anjou, also becomes mesmerised by Marie's beauty. She is traded so often that her life's very existence would be more suited to a stock exchange than a romantic storyline. That, however, is not to say that the film is not at times very entertaining.
In particular, the character of Chabannes played by Lambert Wilson is especially fascinating and could have been used more throughout the overly long duration. Indeed, he plays a more protecting role as he oversees the conundrum that faces his yearning pupil in an era when nobody seems able to get along.
It is obvious that the beautiful scenery, compelling score and sometimes graphic battle scenes are relied upon to entice the viewer further but that can only take you so far. By the end, you are left with the notion of whether or not any of these characters are actually likable. With that said, you may not come away from the cinema with a connection but should at least leave sufficiently entertained.
-
David Caulfield |
