The Princess of Montpensier

Released Apr 15, 2011

2h 19m

History

Drama

Romance

Action

List

85%

66 Reviews

Tomatometer

54%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

During the French Wars of Religion, heiress Marie (Mélanie Thierry) finds that her father, the Marquis de Mézières (Philippe Magnan), has arranged for her to marry the Prince of Montpensier (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet), a war hero with favorable political connections. Marie, however, is in love with Henri de Guise (Gaspard Ulliel), a soldier who is less socially revered than the prince. But Marie's protestations are for nought, and conflict ensues on the battlefield and in the bedroom.

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matthew r

Interesting story that seems to jump forward in time without warning. Acting is decent, but main character is silly. Its worth a watch. Costumes and scenery are well done.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Looks lovely, despite appearing to have only three sets, but ultimately it's a very long soap opera with just the one storyline.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Beyond its epic orchestral score and great costume design, meticulously selected according to the personality of its characters, there is nothing new in this irregular performed drama whose premise we have seen before and whose end we can predict from the first line.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

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Audience Member

All's unfair in love and war.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

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Bertrand Tavernier

Director

Mélanie Thierry

Marie de Montpensier

Lambert Wilson

Comte de Chabannes

Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet

Prince de Montpensier

Gaspard Ulliel

Henri de Guise

Raphaël Personnaz

Duc d'Anjou

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Gary Giddins

Film Comment Magazine

(Bertrand Tavernier) has made an intimate epic, as coolly calculated as a chess match, in which blood on the battlefield and on the bedsheets is the fuel of economic and political power and masculine pride.

Aug 23, 2017

Full Review

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Everything's scenery, even the story.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 8, 2011

Full Review

Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Both handsomely mounted and, for the most part, rousingly acted out.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 8, 2011

Full Review

Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Examiner

Director Bertrand Tavernier has made a stunning film.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 8, 2019

Full Review

Joseph Walsh

CineVue

The Princess of Montpensier could easily have become a tedious film; however with the backdrop of the war there is plenty of action to keep you entertained.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 29, 2018

Full Review

Francesca Rudkin

New Zealand Herald

The Princess of Montpensier is pleasant viewing that asks little of its audience.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 11, 2017

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Synopsis

During the French Wars of Religion, heiress Marie (Mélanie Thierry) finds that her father, the Marquis de Mézières (Philippe Magnan), has arranged for her to marry the Prince of Montpensier (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet), a war hero with favorable political connections. Marie, however, is in love with Henri de Guise (Gaspard Ulliel), a soldier who is less socially revered than the prince. But Marie's protestations are for nought, and conflict ensues on the battlefield and in the bedroom.

Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Screenwriter: Jean Cosmos, François-Olivier Rousseau, Bertrand Tavernier, Bertrand Tavernier
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Centre National de la Cinematographie, CinéCinéma, France 2 Cinéma, StudioCanal, Région Auvergne, Centre Images, Canal+, France 3 Cinéma, Cinémage 4, Filmförderungsanstalt, MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Paradis Films, France Télévision, Pandora Filmproduktion, Banque Postale Image 3, Outsider Productions
Genre: History, Drama, Romance, Action
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 15, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $340.9K
Runtime: 2h 19m

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