My Prayer, Answered.

In my last post, I raised that age old question; Will things ever improve? Am I destined to view drab trailer after drab trailer, day after day, week after miserable week? Surely not. But the month of September would provide insurmountable support for those who would wish to argue.

Today however, a glimmer of hope. Light at the end of the residual 'get me the hell outta here' tunnel. Marie Antoinette, and her subtle, beautiful and intriguingly funky teaser trailer that has simply won me over with simplicity, is giving me a newfound belief in the Almighty motion-picture marketing deity.

And that's saying something, because I'm not a Kirsten Dunst fan, even at the best of times. So to really have such strong feelings towards a teaser with central focus on her is an admirable achievement. Apart from a few enjoyable darker toned kid's films, like Small Soldiers and Jumanji, the only movie I've really liked her in is The Virgin Suicides, because it was so strongly directed by Sofia Coppola and was so easily atmospheric.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, Marie Antoinette is also directed by Sofia Coppola, who seems to be able to perform that one immaculate miracle to a professional degree, make Kirsten Dunst appeal to me. Not in a superficial way, not even Francis Ford could work that magic, but as an actress and intellectual. It's accomplished here.

What is it that this teaser does right where all the others go wrong? It's simple, it's subtle, it is a joy to view, it combines great images with a sensational melancholy New Order song, which brings it to near perfection. Trailers and teasers do not need to overwhelm, they simply have to send out a signal of awareness. The 80's music track coupled with the huge frilly dresses and the men in those high white wigs and pale faces with those disgusting big moles on their cheek, it's such an erethreal experience, but it works so so so well.

I haven't heard the greatest things about the movie, but I am loving the style and the intentions attached. I can relate to the approach that Coppola is trying to head here, and in the end, I'll guess I'll decide for myself if she pulls it off to my likings, but if this teaser is indicative of the final product, I'm really in for a smashing time linking the polar natures of synth-beats from the 80s and string appagios from the Renaissance.
And that's what cinema is all about. (not specifically, obv.)

Marie Antoinette - Columbia Pictures
Anticipation Level: Medium.
Look out for: Age of Consent by New Order is a perfect fit. You have to see and hear it to appreciate it. Another thing to look out for, Kirsten Dunst's unusual jogging style down a corridor... What the hell is she doing? She looks like The Tin Man doing aerobics.
US Release date: 20th October, 2006.
Trailer Source