Featured Audience Ratings

• Carlos M

  
  With many inelegant zooms and clumsy camera movements, this irregular drama also fails to develop well Sidonie's devotion to the Queen, and so their trust relationship feels forced and rushed. Still, the story creates some good tension following a fictional character of uncertain… More
  With many inelegant zooms and clumsy camera movements, this irregular drama also fails to develop well Sidonie's devotion to the Queen, and so their trust relationship feels forced and rushed. Still, the story creates some good tension following a fictional character of uncertain fate.

• Markus R

  
  If you are expecting a French film chronicling the last days of Marie Antoinette, then you may be in for a slight disappointment. Brilliantly directed by the Benoit Jacquot (who also co-wrote the much less impressive script) and starring Diane Kruger as Marie Antoinette and Lea… More
  If you are expecting a French film chronicling the last days of Marie Antoinette, then you may be in for a slight disappointment. Brilliantly directed by the Benoit Jacquot (who also co-wrote the much less impressive script) and starring Diane Kruger as Marie Antoinette and Lea Seydoux, who plays one of the Queen's readers named Sidonie Laborde, and is also the protagonist of this film (for some reason) "Farewell, My Queen" is advertised as the story of the last days of Marie Antoinette, but it's more like the somewhat muted story of the two months before the "last days" of Marie Antoinette. So, even though "Farewell, My Queen" is a better movie than Sofia Coppola's ill advised, indie rock inspired, "Marie Antoinette", due to the faux-final-days story structure, in conjunction with the fact that "Farewell, My Queen" uses Marie Antoinette as a side character, telling the story from the point of view of Sidonie Laborde (a nobody) this is a film which may have many audiences scratching their heads as to why the need to show this particular moment in the life of Marie Antoinette. As I alluded to above, "Farewell My Queen" chronicles a miniscule portion in time during the last months of Marie Antoinette's reign. However, audiences are not treated to "the good part", or the part they undoubtedly came to see. What I mean by this is there are almost no visuals of the actual Revolution, plus (and more importantly) we don't actually get to witness the final days of Marie Antoinette's life simply because "Farewell, My Queen" curiously plays out through the eyes of one of her ladies-in-waiting. Instead, audiences are forced to sit through a pseudo-love story that focuses not on the very interesting end of Marie Antoinette's reign, but on the minutiae right before it! This film is the equivalent of sitting through the love story of Jack and Rose, with the movie ending just before the Titanic strikes the iceberg. Yes, I am aware that this is a script which was adapted from a critically acclaimed novel by Chantal Thomas, BUT it still doesn't make the story's focus any less misguided. I mean, there are some scenes which do attempt to create a somewhat intriguing love story, an aspect which must be fully accredited to some fantastic mood setting by Jacquot, but in the same vein, this film never rises above said simplistic love story. Side Note: Another issue many audiences will likely come across is how frivolously "Farewell, My Queen" throws its viewers right into the deep end of this story, with little exposition. In fact, the greatest individual flaw which hinders "Farewell, My Queen" will be seen in the audiences immediate realization that neither Jacquot's visuals or the engaging performances (which I will speak about later) are going to give those not formally versed in the players of the French Revolution and the fall of Versailles, the background information they may desperately desire, as this film half-introduces more and more characters of seeming importance. So, do yourself a favor, if you are going to see "Farewell, My Queen" (at the very least) peruse the Marie Antoinette Wiki page before going to see this film. With that said, the visuals (the set design in conjunction with the director) are somewhat breathtaking at times, due to Jacquot making some very brave directorial choices, including tons of long takes which trail behind characters as they weave in and out of crowds, giving audiences an intimate feeling of the atmosphere of late 1700's France, and a few beautifully constructed shots of the landscapes. And I guess it doesn't hurt that the two female leads, Seydoux and Kruger, both give engaging performances. But even if Kruger's interpretation of Antoinette is one of the best I've ever seen and Seydoux is so captivating to watch as she effortlessly takes control of the movie every time she is on screen, there is simply not enough in the story or the writing to give reasoning to the eccentric behavior or motives behind the actions of Marie Antoinette or (more importantly) give a reason as to why Sidonie is so infatuated with her. So, even though, in the latter half of the film (more than an hour in) Jacquot does create an atmosphere which allows these characters to somewhat blossom, many will find it hard to care about a Marie Antoinette story that contains no beheadings. Final Thought: Based on a "last days" plot which attempts to imitate a much better film like "Downfall", even with some spectacular direction and two engaging female performances, "Farewell, My Queen" is nothing more than this year's "My Week With Marilyn", telling a story which focuses on characters nobody really cares about, rather than simply creating a storyline around the life/last days of (in this case) Marie Antoinette. So, even if you are a Marie Antoinette fan, with the overall structure the way it is, "Farewell, My Queen" is nothing more than DVD worthy at best. Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus Find more reviews at: movieswithmarkusonline.blogspot.com

• Byron B

  
  Similar in a way to Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. This film focuses more on the servants than the queen herself. The period details seemed more accurate. It is worth hearing the story in the French language. There is something melodic in the sound. The camera work often… More
  Similar in a way to Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. This film focuses more on the servants than the queen herself. The period details seemed more accurate. It is worth hearing the story in the French language. There is something melodic in the sound. The camera work often utilizes long uncut shots with the camera freely moving back and forth between people. It looks a bit nontraditional and while it didn't bother me, I'm not sure what it adds. I enjoyed the upstairs/downstairs nature of the drama. Lea Seydoux as Sidonie and her complicated relationship with Diane Kruger as Marie Antoinette is especially compelling. Lea plays a literate, creative, curious, and bold young woman, a character who generally needs to hide these qualities. The spoiled young queen is much more fragile and fickle than one might expect. It is about the chaos faced by those who had power, but even more so by those who served the people in power, when their way of life was crumbling around them.

• Walter M

  
  "Farewell, My Queen" starts on July 14, 1789 in France where the quiche is about to hit the fan. That's in Paris. In Versailles, at court, events proceed normally. Even with the luxury of a clock, Sidonie(Lea Seydoux) is still late for her appointment to read to… More
  "Farewell, My Queen" starts on July 14, 1789 in France where the quiche is about to hit the fan. That's in Paris. In Versailles, at court, events proceed normally. Even with the luxury of a clock, Sidonie(Lea Seydoux) is still late for her appointment to read to Marie Antoinette(Diane Kruger) who does not really mind, either way. Otherwise, Sidonie is employed for embroidery. On a personal note, she is teased relentlessly about her virginity, especially with the handsome Paolo(Vladimir Consigny) on the premises. She is not the only one, as the Duchess Gabrielle de Polignac(Virgnie Ledoyen) is herself the subject of her share of rumors. And then the news reaches them in the middle of the night... "Farewell, My Queen" is a briskly paced historical thriller that tells the beginnings of the fall of the House of Bourbon in France, as seen through they eyes of one servant girl. This point of view which used elsewhere before works especially well here in allowing the viewer to follow the story as the characters find out themselves, as aided by the natural lighting. As you can imagine, the movie is steeped in historical detail but not the usual fancy side, but a darker one, like rats. Since we know about the literal rats, how about the metaphorical rats? As dramatized, that's what the whole tragedy of the French royalty comes down to as they have never had to make a decision without others to do so for them before, and now have a huge one to make. With foresight being 20/20, we know the story of the Bastille and what comes next but here it is less certain and seems like it might be containable. So, what to do?

• Andreas B

  
  Farewell, My Queen, in a nutshell, is a film that may not have been as finite as its title leads you to believe. Do we experience Marie Antoinette moments before the revolution, when everybody and their heads were on the line? Yes. Do we see this "final hour" (it's a… More
  Farewell, My Queen, in a nutshell, is a film that may not have been as finite as its title leads you to believe. Do we experience Marie Antoinette moments before the revolution, when everybody and their heads were on the line? Yes. Do we see this "final hour" (it's a few days but still) solely through the eyes of one of her servants, as the film works as both her loving tribute and her contained anger towards the queen? Yes. So, what's missing? Why does this farewell leave me with a bad taste in my mouth? Why does it feel like one of those phonecalls where someone hangs up before saying their goodbyes? It's because the film, as a whole, is stunning, superb, engaging, and intensifying. Diane Kruger plays Marie Antoinette in a similar way Anthony Hopkins played Hannibal Lecter. No, Kruger did not make Marie Antoinette a cannibal (although she did tend to bite peoples heads off, and that's the last terrible joke of this review), but instead she makes Marie Antoinette the star of the show when she really wasn't on paper. Like Hopkins, Kruger really wasn't in the film that often. There are very long moments where you won't even see a glimpse of her. However, when she is on screen, she steals the show with one of the best performances I have seen all year. Kruger has proven to the world that she really does have more up her sleeve, and I'm sure this film will be the one that propels her from being a pleasant actor to being a household name (much like Hunger finally boosted Michael Fassbender, and look how unstoppable he is now). Her portrayal is unpredictable, ranging from facetious highs to bitter lows. She could have made her the villain of the film, of which she is a bit in a sense, but instead Kruger leaves her remaining likable and full of sympathy. The visuals are nothing short of gorgeous. Usually I have a tough time believing period pieces because they seem too fake or too costume-y, but this film is one of the better efforts visually. The costumes were just right, the architecture and settings breathtaking, and even the camera angles, tones and the shadows recorded were all mesmerizing (save for the odd bizarre camera pan and/or zoom). There are long hallways that go on for a lifetime, there are windows that capture the world outside on the inside, and just so many beautiful, intricate things going on. Definitely one of the best films visually of the year. Sadly, that's not enough to save it. The problem is that the film started many things but it never truly ended them, especially in regards to itself. The film's about to reach a climax, and it ends suddenly. There are characters that come, and they aren't really necessary nor do they get a proper finale. I get that this movie is seen through the perspective of a servant, but it still doesn't excuse the amount of unfinished business. Take Atonement, for example, another period piece seen through the eyes of someone of a lower position. That film, if it didn't have answers, at least had implied answers so we could do as we will with what we have. Here, we aren't given anything. We know what happens to Marie Antoinette, but that doesn't justify the film having such an anti climactic ending. It's unfortunate because I was sitting there thinking "Wow, this is one of the better films of the year" the whole time right until the ending. I have no problem with sudden endings if the film deserves it. Maybe Farewell, My Queen does. As a first impression, however, it does not. The film is still worth checking out, because of Diane Kruger's phenomenal performance and the stunning visuals. In fact, the pacing and story for the most part are worth it, too. Just expect a very little pay off at the end. Final Rating: 6.8/10