Synopsis
Set in the high courts of 16th Century France, where the wars of religion between Catholics and Protestants are raging. Marie de Mézières, a beautiful young aristocrat, is in love with Henri de Guise, but her hand in marriage is promised to the Prince of Montpensier.
Your Movie Library
Cast
- Mélanie ThierryMarie de Montpensier
- Lambert WilsonFrançois de Chabannes
- Gaspard UllielHenri de Guise
- Grégoire Leprince-RinguetPhilippe de Montpensier
- Raphaël PersonnazLe Duc d'Anjou
- Michel VuillermozLe Duc de Montpensier
- Philippe MagnanLe Marquis de Mézières
- Florence ThomassinLa Marquise de Mézières
- Christine BrücherLa Duchesse de Montpensier
- Evelina MeghnagiCatherine de Médicis
Recommendations
- 90
Village Voice
The finest Western you'll see this year is set in aristocratic 16th-century France, in the heat of Counter-Reformation. - 83
The A.V. Club
Tavernier turns a tale of courtly duty and manners into a tense, twisty drama. - 80
Boxoffice Magazine
The script does not provide that much illumination, yet the power of the acting and the quality of the visual imagery carry us along. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
One of the finest costume dramas in a long while. - 80
New York Daily News
The cast and crew render every detail so exquisitely that there's almost too much to take in at once. Repeat viewings will be required. - 75
NPR
Using de Chabannes as the film's conscience and moral fulcrum, Tavernier - just as he did in his 1996 film "Captain Conan" - exposes the shame of a meaningless war and the psychological damage borne by those fighting it. - 75
New York Post
Viewers unfamiliar with the politics of the era might feel lost as the plot unfolds, and the 139-minute running time might be a bit much. But why quibble? - 75
Christian Science Monitor
Courtly intrigue should be intriguing, and in that sense, The Princess of Montpensier – although it's somewhat wan and too cerebral for its own good – does a fairly keen job.
