Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette (IPA: [maʁi ɑ̃twanɛt]; Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and theQueen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and Emperor Francis I.

At the age of fourteen, on the day of her marriage to Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, she became Dauphine de France. At the death of King Louis XV, in May 1774, her husband ascended the throne of France as King Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette assumed the title of Queen of France and of Navarre. After seven years of marriage she gave birth to a daughter, Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, the first of their four children.

Initially charmed by her personality and beauty, the French people generally came to dislike her, accusing "the Austrian" of being profligate and promiscuous, and of harboring sympathies for France's enemies.

At the height of the French Revolution, Louis XVI was deposed and the royal family was imprisoned. Nine months after her husband's execution, she was tried, convicted of treason, and executed by guillotine on 16 October 1793.

Princess Kauilani

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Princess Kaiulani is a 2009 film based on the life of Princess Kaʻiulani (1875–1899).

The film stars Q'Orianka Kilcher in the role of Princess Kaʻiulani, one of the last heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii. This movie was shown in Hawaii International Film Festival under the title Barbarian Princess; afterward, Roadside Attractions acquired this movie's United States rights and changed this movie's title for United States release.

The movie follows the progression of Kaʻiulani's short life, beginning with a happy life in Honolulu interrupted by the events surrounding the imposition of the Bayonet Constitution. The movie follows her through her education in Victorian England, the announcement of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, her campaign to attempt to convince the United States to reverse the overthrow, and her return to Hawaii.

The historical events are generally portrayed accurately, though some of the details, for example the reasons for King Kalākaua's signing of the Bayonet Constitution, are not explained in detail. In contrast, many of the personal details of the princess's life, including particularly the depiction of her love life, are representative of who she was rather than strictly historical. Her life also included many significant events that are not in this movie.

The movie was written and directed by Marc Forby, and also stars Barry Pepper as Lorrin Thurston, Will Patton as Sanford Dole, Julian Glover as Theophilus Harris Davies, and Shaun Evans as Clive Davies.

The first public performance of the movie was in Honolulu on October 16, 2009, at the historic Hawaii Theatre, as part of the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival. The performance was sold out.

Source: Wikipedia

The Dutchess

The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's best-selling biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK. Originally to be directed by Susanne Bier, The Duchess was directed by Saul Dibb. 
Plot Summary
Set in the late eighteenth century, The Duchess is based on the life of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. While her beauty and fashion made her famous, extravagance and gambling made her infamous. She is married to the cold and much older William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Despite the Duke's blatant infidelities, Georgiana becomes a fashion icon, a doting mother, a shrewd political operator, and darling of the common people. Reeling from her husband's affair with her best friend, Lady Bess Foster, Georgiana takes on her own lover, the future prime minister Earl Grey.
Production
The Duchess is financed by BBC Films and Pathé. The Duchess was filmed at Twickenham Film Studios and on-location at Chatsworth, Bath, Holkham Hall, Clandon Park, Kedleston Hall, Somerset House and the Old Royal Naval College.  Regarding lead actress Keira Knightley, director Saul Dibb said The Duchess was "a chance to take a character from late childhood — she's married at 17—into full adulthood, 10 years later." It was also a chance to work with Ralph Fiennes, whom she regarded as one of her most accomplished co-stars to date; Dibb said, "When I said, 'We've got Ralph interested in playing the Duke,' we both took a gulp and went, 'F---.' [sic] ... But I didn't for one second feel that she wasn't up to the task.
Cast

• Keira Knightley as Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
• Ralph Fiennes as William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire
• Hayley Atwell as Lady Elizabeth 'Bess' Foster
• Charlotte Rampling as Countess Spencer, wife to Earl Spencer
• Dominic Cooper as Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
• Aidan McArdle as Richard Brinsley Sheridan
• Simon McBurney as Charles James Fox
• Sebastian Applewhite as Agustas And

• Calvin Dean as Devonshire House Servant;
• Emily Jewell as Nanny;
• Hannah Stokely as Maid;
• Richard Syms as Dr Neville;
• Richard McCabe as Sir James Hare;
• Andy Armour as Burleigh the Butler;
• Emily Cohen as Harryo;
• Poppy Wigglesworth as Charlotte (aged 10);
• Mercy Fiennes Tiffin as Little Georgiana;
• Sebastian Applewhite as Augustus;
• Eva Hrela as Charlotte (aged 3);
• Bruce Mackinnon as Sir Peter Teazle actor;
• Alistair Petrie as Heaton;
• Georgia King as Lady Teazle actress;
• Kate Burdette as Lady Harriet;
• Paul Daley as George Augustus Henry Cavendish, created 1st Earl of Burlington of the 2nd order or creation (a.k.a. Duke's brother);
• Hannah Stretton as Lady Mary;
• Hollie Standish-Leigh as Lady Patricia;
• and Anon. plays Georgiana's daughter by Lord Grey, Eliza Courtney.

Release - Marketing

The film advertisements which featured Diana, Princess of Wales caused the film to be branded "crudely promoted"

Studio executives wanted to use digitally altered images of Keira Knightley in promotional materials. The alterations were specifically aimed at enlarging her breasts. However, Knightley objected to the alterations and they were not used. The marketing campaign also drew criticism for its use of Diana, Princess of Wales, who was a descendent of Georgiana's. The ad used slogans such as "two women related by ancestry and united by destiny" and even used "There were three people in her marriage", the latter being an almost identical copy of a famous quote that Diana, Princess of Wales uttered during her infamousPanorama interview. Michael Hellicar of the Daily Mail stated that "the Diana link is being so heavily, and it has to be said, so cynically and crudely promoted."  Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, criticised the marketing strategy too, saying "They probably thought the only way to get the young popcorn-eating brigade to see the film was if they thought it was about Diana, but it wasn't necessary and they should never have done that. And the line 'united by destiny' is wrong. I don't think Georgiana actually died in a carriage crash."

Theatrical release

The BBFC has classified the film as a 12A, citing the scene of implied marital rape, which is "delivered through Georgiana's screams of protest, heard from outside the bedroom door." The BBFC's PG rating allows implied sex as long as it is discreet and infrequent; the board decided that the scene in The Duchess is more than "discreet" or "implied". The film had its world premiere on September 3, 2008, inLeicester Square and was released nationwide in the United Kingdom on September 5.

Critical reception

The film received mixed, though mostly positive, reviews gaining 61% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 142 reviews, with the consensus that "Keira Knightley squeezes into a corset again, and pulls off another worthy performance in this sumptuous and emotional period drama, that serves parallels to the Duchess's descendent Princess Diana." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote that "Dibb's movie looks good" [however] "exasperatingly bland and slow-moving at all times" handing out a 2 of 5 star rating. However, Paul Hurley gave the film 8/10 and called The Duchess "an excellent new film" and states that "The Duchess stands a good chance of taking home some very big prizes at the end of the year".

Most reviewers have highly praised Knightley and Fiennes' performances. Timeout London wrote: "[Saul Dibb] is also helped enormously by a mature, restrained portrayal from Knightley, a masterclass in passive aggression from Fiennes and a performance of tender seduction from Atwell." The Epoch Times writes, "Ralph Fiennes brings a human quality to [the Duke] by avoiding any intent, exaggeration or ill will" and "Keira Knightley’s performance gains new depth — she not only perfectly portrays a witty and feminine Georgiana early in the film, but also a caring mother, and an abandoned woman later on. Also remarkable in this role is Knightley’s ability to portray the strengths, weaknesses, and the internal hurdles of Georgiana, as well as her internal contemplation." Film Ireland writes "It is a slow movie but it is well acted with Knightley and Fiennes suited to their roles, especially Fiennes who gives a formidable and powerful performance." 

Cameron Baily, the co-chair of The Toronto International Festival comments; “The Duchess Of Devonshire, with Keira Knightley, which is a beautiful film and she gives a really mature performance. You’re seeing her really turn into something beyond the kind of pretty face that we’ve seen her do already so well. But she’s actually a very serious actress and she’s turning into a great, great performer. The film's costume designer Michael O'Connor was nominated for, and won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design and the Satellite Award for Best Costume Design.

Awards

Awards ceremony	Award Category	Subject	Result
Academy Awards[16]	Best Costume Design	Michael O'Connor	Won
	Best Art Direction	Michael Carlin	Nominated
BAFTA Awards[17]	Best Costume Design	Michael O'Connor	Won
BIFA[18]	Best Actress	Keira Knightley	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actor	Ralph Fiennes	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actress	Hayley Atwell	Nominated
	Best Technical Achievement	Michael O'Connor (Costume)	Nominated
Golden Globes Awards[19][20]	Best Supporting Actor	Ralph Fiennes	Nominated
People's Choice Awards[21]	Favourite Actress	Keira Knightley	Nominated
	Favourite Independent Movie	The Duchess	Nominated
Satellite Awards[22]	Best Art Direction and Production Design	Karen Wakefield, Michael Carlin	Nominated
	Best Cinematography	Gyula Pados	Nominated
	Best Costume Design	Michael O'Connor	Won
London Circle Critics' Film Awards	British Actor of the Year	Ralph Fiennes	Nominated
	British Actress in a Supporting Role	Hayley Atwell	Nominated

Source: wikipedia

The Countess

The Countess” is a period drama/thriller set against the violent and macabre world of 17th Century Eastern European aristocracy. Reminiscent of the political intrigue of “The Illusionist” and the haunting stylings of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, “The Countess” tells the tale of Erzebet Bathory (Julie Delpy) an aging noblewoman whose years of solitude and loneliness transforms her into a cold and distant figure among Hungarian nobility. When her violent and brutal husband, Ferenc Nadasky, dies on the field of battle, Erzebet is forced to defend her estate against the political maneuverings of her fellow nobles. After having her heart broken by the handsome, young Count Thurzo (Daniel Bruhl), Erzebet seeks the aide of a seductive witch named Anna Darvulia (Anamaria Marinca) to help win back his love. However, Erzebet’s fairy tale dream soon transforms into a nightmare when Darvulia’s corruption leads Erzebet’s already cold and selfish heart to commit an infamous series of ritualistic murders aimed at stealing the youth and beauty from innocent maidens. As rumors of her actions begin to spread, a mysterious nobleman (Vincent Gallo) further exploits Erzebet’s vanity and misguided passion to curry favor with his fellow nobles, which leads to the dispossession and damnation of a woman blinded by love and vanity. Based on a true story and widely credited by many as a primary influence of Stoker’s “Dracula” myth.

Elizabeth 1998

Elizabeth is a 1998 film loosely based on the early reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The film was written by Michael Hirst and directed by Shekhar Kapur.

It stars Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, Christopher Eccleston, and Richard Attenborough. It was the final film of acclaimed British actor Sir John Gielgud.

It also stars 12-year-old Lily Allen as a lady in waiting, Manchester United legend Eric Cantona as the French ambassador, future Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston as the Duke of Norfolk, and Daniel Craig, who would later portray James Bond, as a member of the Vatican who is heavily involved in the film's central plot. txt and image from: wikipedia.org