The Princess of Montpensier

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02/11/2017 Looks lovely, despite appearing to have only three sets, but ultimately it's a very long soap opera with just the one storyline. See more 10/26/2014 Story was normal, but what strikes in my mind was the first night scene where the girl had to have intercourse with the prince in front of family members who were examining the her moaning sound & blood in the bed sheet to see whether she was a virgin or not. See more 07/15/2014 All's unfair in love and war. See more 11/30/2013 There always seems to be a slight aura of creakiness when it comes to period pieces - the topics themselves are dated, and normally aren't explored in a way that gives the stories relevancy. For "The Princess of Montpensier", the case is difference. Though it takes place in the 1500s, the plot, which sees an upper-class woman forced into an arranged marriage while in love with another man, could be found in any modern film. Romance is romance, after all. The titular character is portrayed by Mélanie Thierry, an earthy beauty who brings a certain amount of naiveness to the screen that causes her to ooze with sensuality. She is magnetic, and she instantly makes us believe her situation: she is Marie de Mézières, and, though she is somewhat of an aristocrat, she would much rather lose everything to spend her life with the rugged Henri de Guise (Gaspard Ulliel) than the insecure Prince de Montpensier (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet), whom she is forced to marry. It's a story found only in the classiest of soap operas, but the film is much to tasteful to be compared to throwaway melodrama. These are characters that are much more interesting than what the period piece textbook normally presents us with, either because they seem to be actual people rather than stylized caricatures, or because the passion doesn't seem to exist just because the story calls for it. The film takes its time (it is, after all, nearly two-and-a-half hours), and it always seems as though everyone falls hard for Marie; but it's easy to see why. Marie isn't your normal kind of heroine: sure, she is intelligent and a romantic at heart, but she also isn't strong enough to push her inhibitions aside and do what she feels is right. We often times see two sides of her: one, is the public Marie, who appears confident and quite mannered, and the other, in private, keeps quiet and lets the men in her life dominate everything. After all, the film does take place in 1562, way before women even considered standing up for themselves. It's a topic already known to most, but "The Princess of Montpensier" makes it clear while showing what the repercussions bring. It's highly fascinating to see how one moment, Marie's emotions can be thrown into a tizzy, and the next, she is expected to be a woman of culture and wealth. But the film isn't without its fun - while it does bring up plenty of thought-provoking ideas, there is certainly quite a bit that can be celebrated. Battles (which are only there due to the Catholic/Protestant wars) are staged with perfect elegance, no matter how brutal, and there is even an instance of a sword fight, reminiscent of the days Errol Flynn ruled the screens. The story, though often times melancholy, has a certain flair to it that keeps things wildly dramatic and breathlessly entertaining. Tavernier's direction seems to be almost a juggling act, as he is forced to handle so many different categories. He does so in a way that is glossy smooth but once boring. For being a period piece that surrounds a period that goes WAY back, "The Princess of Montpensier" is a great deal of fun. When there is multiple love triangles, heaving bosoms, breathy encounters, and palace madness, what's not to like? Nothing. See more 10/12/2013 I guess I am just a sucker for a pretty face. I quite enjoyed this, despite its shortcomings. A tragic story of a woman caught between her duty and her passion, who throws it all over for a man who proved unworthy. It also portrayed her husband as a man consumed by insecurity and jealousy. The battle scenes were brutal, the French countryside bucolic and the court intrigues just subtle enough for this viewer to find himself immersed for the more than two hours that the film ran. See more 01/24/2013 This makes for a prime example of how to film historical romantic drama: intelligent, well-acted, and so lush that some scenes are almost tactile. See more Read all reviews

The Princess of Montpensier

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