Vatel (2000)

Director:

Roland Joffé

Writers:

Jeanne Labrune (writer)
Tom Stoppard (English adaptation)

Release Date:

10 May 2000 (Belgium)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Some men are too noble to live among aristocracy.

Plot:

In 1671, with war brewing with Holland, a penniless prince invites Louis XIV to three days of festivities at a chateau in Chantilly...

Plot Keywords:

Vatel | Prince | King | Steward | Chateau

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	François Vatel
Uma Thurman	...	Anne de Montausier
Tim Roth	...	Marquis de Lauzun
Timothy Spall	...	Gourville
Julian Glover	...	Prince de Condé
Julian Sands	...	Louis XIV
Murray Lachlan Young	...	Philippe d'Orleans, 'Monsieur'
Hywel Bennett	...	Colbert
Richard Griffiths	...	Dr. Bourdelot
Arielle Dombasle	...	Princess de Condé
Marine Delterme	...	Athenaïs de Montespan
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu	...	Duchesse de Longueville
Jérôme Pradon	...	Marquis d'Effiat
Féodor Atkine	...	Alcalet
Nathalie Cerda	...	The Queen Marie-Thérèse

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some violence.

Runtime:

103 min | Argentina:125 min

Country:

France | UK | Belgium

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13

Company:

Légende Entreprises

Trivia:

The film opened the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the evening banquet on the second day, there are fireworks. The music played and sung (heard) is 'Music for the Royal Fireworks'. G. F. Handel composed this piece in 1749. The movie is set in 1671. It had not been composed by that time.

Quotes:

Gourville: [Condé is gambling with the King] Is the Prince losing his chateau?
Marquis de Lauzun: Not if he plays his cards wrong.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Le cinéma passe à table (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Contredanse

One of the year's best films

Roland Joffe's "Vatel" does something few movies can do these days: it takes you to a place you've never been before.

The French made film has Louie XIV visiting a poor province ruled by an improverished prince, who must put on spectacular entertainment fit for the Sun King. There's more than the King's time at stake here, though, for Louie wants the prince to lead his army, should France go to war with Holland, and the Prince desperately needs Louie's financial help, to save his nearly brankrupt province.

Enter the prince's chief steward, Vatel, played by Gerard Depardiue. A combination French chief extraordinaire and showman supreme, he not only serves up unbelieveable meals, but also puts on shows that would out do James Cameron, and does it on a much smaller budget. From pop up lawn decorations to fire works extravaganzas that would shame the Chinese, Vatel displays a genius for spectacle that will literally leave you breathless.

"Vatel" the movie includes lots of court intrigue and some fine acting from those carrying it out. Deparidieu delivers an unexpected performance as Vatel. Rather than the explosive, temperamental French chief, he plays this 17th century showman as a harried administrator who is trying keep a lot of balls in the air at the same time he must navigate the tricky waters of French politics. It's an understated performance in which much of what is going on is behind his eyes (and probably in his stomach ulcers) rather than on the surface.

His protagonists are Julian Sands as the petulant,devious King and Tim Roth as the chief court intriguer, kind of an early version of a political advance man. Uma Thurman is a lady in waiting who has caught all three men's eyes.

All are good, but what sets "Vatel" off is the visuals which give you a look at spectacle the likes of which this writer had never before seen. This film should walk away with all the set design, costume design and effects Oscars hands down. It is one of the most incredible visual experiences in film history. See it in the theaters, though, and not squashed into a TV screen.