Marquise

It is so nice to see a person encouraged to follow her dream - despite opposition from others, and despite having to overcome her own fears at times. The ending is sad but it fits with the film's whole tragic theme, and works well as the play-within-a-play. Excellent performances by Marceau and Giraudeau (as Moliere). Excellent insight into the lives of travelling players, and Louis XIV's era.

Sophie Marceau, in her two previous outings in period costume--Chouans! and La fille de d'Artagnan--showed us how well she could play historical subjects. Marquise died young, only 35, but had enough time to vault to the top of the theatrical profession. She was the lover of both Moliere and Racine, to whom she bore a son. The film moves along at a brisk pace with so much material to cover, and Bernard Giraudeau as Moliere, and Lambert Wilson as Racine give Marceau solid support. Patrick Timsit as Gros-Rene has the most inventive death scene I can remember, it's fabulous.

The film is a very good story I like the cast, principally Bernard Giraudeau, Patrick Timsit, Thierry Lhermitte and the muse Sophie Marceau who in that time was the most beautiful actress of the cinema of all universe!! It is my opinion about her. Sophie shines in all takes, every angle and in each glance. She gets reach her apex when she is dancing... Marceau is the star of the movie but the writers are good, they were precise with the scenery, wrote interesting dialogs and could figure on a good cast. Direction well-made by Vera Belmont. I just thing about the end of the film was not so good, they would get more tension in the last scene, my impression it was made on the run...But anyway, I like very much this film!

......A Quelques Traits Un Peu Vieux

Souvenez-Vous Qu'à Mon Age

Vous ne Vaudrez Guère Mieux

(Marquise,If My Face is an old man's one/Remember when you get old,you won't look any better)

A poem written by an aging Corneille for Marquise -which is a first name ,not a title- which would never come true cause MARQUISE died young.

Generally I 'm not a fan of Sophie Marceau but she's acceptable here,particularly when she dances .She gets strong support from Bernard Giraudeau as Molière,Lambert Wilson as Racine,Anemone as "la Voisin" (the poison expert) and even Thierry Lhermitte as the king.

Vera Belmont successfully recreates the GRand Siècle when the Sun king used to reign: from the muddy filthy streets to the luxury of Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte where the nobles hide their grime behind an outrageous make up.

Some lines are very funny but you have got to have some knowledge of classic French literature so you can appreciate such witty words as "let's say "Tartuffe" takes place in England or among that infamous Protestant reformed religion!"Belmont also draws an interesting parallel between Racine's "Andromaque" and the young widow Marquise .

Best scene: Duparc's burial at night,for at the time thespians were excommunicated .Giraudeau's lines goes straight to the heart.There is a similar scene in Abel Gance's "Le Capitaine Fracasse" .That director was certainly a major influence on Belmont:like him,her characters often use lines of poetry.

I wasn't interested in the story, mainly because I didn't see the point. Sophie Marceau is the only bright sight in the movie.