Well, it seems we are having a period Tuesday today at HOLLYWOOD SPY, since two of the upcoming historical movies have had their first
pictures released around the Net recently.
FAREWELL, MY QUEEN
The first one is for
FAREWELL, MY QUEEN, a French film which will premiere this February at famous Berlin Film Festival. Directed by
Benoit Jacquot the story of the film is set in Versailles in July 1789. Unrest is growing in the court of King Louis the XVI. The people are rebelling - a revolution is imminent. Behind the facades of the royal palaces, everyone is thinking of fleeing, including Queen Marie Antoinette (
Diane Kruger) and her entourage. Among her ladies-in-waiting is Sidonie Laborde (
Lea Seydoux) who as the Queen's reader has become
quite intimate with her. With great amazement, Sidonie experiences the first hours of the French Revolution. Her status as courtier makes her the best kind of narrator in the film - both an insider and an observer of the royals. She describes the final days before revolution engulfs the palace with insight and surprising slices of humor.
I'm not sure if we need another Marie Antoinette film after
Sofia Copolla's horrid flop with
Kirsten Dunst, especially with
Diane Kruger (who isn't really a good actress, remember her shockingly bad acting in TROY?) in the lead role, but we shall give this one a benefit of the doubt.
DAKOTA FANNING'S EFFIE
Another period film for today is the one with young
Dakota Fanning in the lead role in a period drama
EFFIE which revolves around Effie Gray, a teenager who married famous London art critic John Ruskin (
Greg Wise) in the 1850s but he refused to consummate the marriage since he was repulsed by her body even though Effie was considered a gorgeous girl. In the end she turned her affections to Ruskin's protege, famous Victorian painter John Everett Millais (
Tom Sturridge). It' s interesting that the story was written by
Emma Thompson who will also appear in the film beside two legends
Derek Jacobi and
Julie Walters. The cast also includes
Claudia Cardinale, Robbie Coltrane and super charming
Russell Tovey from BEING HUMAN.
It is also interesting that the first candidates for the lead roles were
Saoirse Ronan and
Orlando Bloom and that
Greg Wise is
Emma Thompson's real life husband and that this is
Dakota Fanning's first role as an adult actress.The movie should appear in cinemas this June and as you can see from these pictures it will feature some really amazing and colourful costumes!
