isla s
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this film. I liked the sumptuous settings, I liked the scenes with the vintage cars and I liked the costumes, with it being a period drama but the main plot I felt was a bit too cringe-y for me to be fully enjoying as such. This is very much a film where your laughing at the titular character, not with them. There is a definite vulnerability to the main character, while of course she's very well off, we can't (as viewers) feel sorry for her from that point of view but the themes of deception, of hiding the truth for her to believe she's a good singer etc. it sits a bit uncomfortably for me. I find it hard to believe she really had no idea she was such a bad singer and I suppose indulgence is a key term, or theme, present here but yet I feel I couldn't help but feel sorry for her situation, regardless of her wealth or other aspects of her life. The actual song recitals are very much cringe-worthy - if you're not ok with off-key singing, then suffice to say this won't be for you but that, I suppose, should be pretty obvious.
There is a definite sadness towards the end of the film, with the way the plot goes and at the very end of the film, I felt the ending was a little ambiguous, which isn't a great thing. its not a really badly made film but I felt the main themes weren't fully explored as perhaps they could have been. It left me a little conflicted, in terms of what to feel for the main, titular character. i won't elaborate so as not to provide any spoilers but I think this isn't a film that won't suit all and so I wouldn't recommend it as such unless your ok with the plot and are particularly keen on foreign languages period dramas.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
ari v
Oops, was trying to leave a review for the heart-wrenching short film by same name.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
- Marguerite is an odd but loveable tale with a swell monocle -
I went to Marguerite with a friend and we spent the entire ride home musing on this and other French movies. We discussed their, for lack of a better term, "Frenchness." French movies are always a refreshing slap in the face.
Our discussion quickly lead back to Marguerite as it really is a talking point. She asked if I liked it and I couldn't rightly say I did at the time. I told her to ask me again tomorrow. When she did, I instantly said "yes." I did like it, but I realised what I really liked was Marguerite herself. The creepy butler with the secret agenda, her unloving then loving husband, the ex-opera star turned voice coach and the bearded lady were all well and good, but Marguerite was a vision.
Catherine Frot (The Page Turner) playing Marguerite, is magnetic. I couldn't help but fall a little in love with her. She can't sing but - so what? She's generous. She's nice to her staff. She loves her husband and, yeah, she's a little bit crazy. She puts on operatic costumes and has her butler take photos of her. She collects countless pieces of music even though she can't hit a damn note. She's a tad delusional, but that's part of her charm!
The film begins with Marguerite holding a private concert for charity. She invites singers and musicians from around France to play and makes herself the guest of honour. There, her singing...er...talents catch the eye of a young music critic, Lucien Beaumont played by Sylvain Dieuaide (Avec amour), and his anarchistic friend, Kyrill von Priest played by Aubert Fenoy (La Vie en Rose) . They plan to use her and her wealth for their own personal gain, but find she is just too loveable to betray. Kyrill was a definite favourite of mine. He and his cheeky monocle were electric on screen.
I'd tell you more about the plot, but really, the plot lost me a little; it involved a bearded lady, a dwarf who hired a rent a crowd and a whole feast of other sub-characters that served no real purpose. It got weird. It really did - in an oh so delightfully French way.
Marguerite really works with the darkness of the 1920s. The costumes are mostly grey, everything is a little dark and dirty and even Marguerite's infinite wealth is not shown through bright colours. It is shown through a huge eyeball sculpture which, I won't lie, I kind of wanted. Yes, an eyeball sculpture - you see how this movie could get weird now, right?
I spent a lot of time looking at what the characters were wearing. I'm not sure if that was a sign of excellent costume work or more because some moments of the plot made my brain go a-wandering. There were a lot of fur coats that would make Cruella DeVil green with envy. There was always something that held my attention, even if it was only a head piece, a shoe or one of those amazing fur coats.
Now it would be odd not to mention that another film, Florence Foster Jenkins based on the same American socialite was released around the same time as Marguerite. Xavier Giannoli was beside himself to find that the biographical English counterpart was being made at the same time. But what Marguerite lacks in Hollywood star power it makes up for with artistic heart.
Marguerite was odd but loveable. Watch it for Catherine Frot. Watch it for Kyrill and his swell monocle and maybe try and forget the bearded lady.
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This review was first published on Narrative Muse, http://www.narrativemuse.co/movies/the-september-issue, and was written Debbie Holloway. Narrative Muse curates the best books and movies by and about women and non-binary folk on our website http://narrativemuse.co and our social media channels.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/08/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A fantastic representation of how the opinion, or the non opinion, of others builds our perception of reality. Just a few excesses affect a fantastic movie.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
Full Review
dave d
Prior to Florence Foster Jenkins, 'Marguerite', was on the silver screen and it offers a slightly more entertaining version of the Jenkins saga while being much more loose with the details. This is fine, but it never quite catches fire. Well-acted and funny in parts it overstays it's welcome at 127 minutes. The story veers off the path a bit but it does enough if you can deal with French films.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
"Marguerite" is a fictitious drama based on the story of the very unfortunately real, notoriously awful and naïve Florence Foster Jenkins (yeah, she gets two films about her this year) who forged a short-lived career as a vocalist by making an ass out of herself. She should be regarded as a cautionary tale rather than an inspiration, in my opinion. Regardless, "Marguerite" is funny at times, but the narrative never feels legitimate, oftentimes sacrificing story for humor and subplots that lead nowhere, and in a film about singing, you would expect better lip-syncing, if not actual singing. Furthermore, "Marguerite's" tagline is "Cover your ears and open your heart." Perhaps, if Giannoli valued our hearts, he wouldn't have left "Marguerite" off on such a low note.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
Full Review
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