Review of Queen Margot (1994) by Lori B — 22 Aug 2011

Normally, when I say that a movie is "really French," that's a good thing. But not quite this time. I was a history minor in college, and I know a little bit about the era being filmed, but not nearly enough to keep up with all the characters depicted.

I did eventually catch up and was able to more or less figure out what was going on, so I might have forgiven the assumption that I should know more than I do (I'm sure these people are well-known in France), However, Isabelle Adjani's luminosity in the title role does not quite make up for the lousy direction and the all-too-often total lack of framing.

There are plenty of good things about the movie. The costuming is interesting, most of the cast is really high class for a bodice ripper, many of the intrigues and plots are fascinating (unfortunately, others are either overplayed or indecipherable), and I found that by then end, I was not totally angry to have invested nearly 3 hours into the film.

But getting through the first hour was painful enough that I really can't recommend the movie or give it more than 3 stars. If you have a serious penchant for historical drama, or just seriously want to see some shots of the lovely Isabelle Adjani naked, then this will most likely be worth your time.

Otherwise, it's probably safe to skip.