Angélique, 2. Teil

How is it possible that no one before wrote a review of this movie and that only 11 persons voted on it? Maybe the predominantly American audience of IMDb is not much aware of French movies. French ladies (and especially young ladies!) and gentlemen, give your comments! The honor of France is at stake. The movies of the "Angelique" series are the ULTIMATE SENTIMENTAL CLOAK AND DAGGER STORY! A whole generation of French (and not only French!!) teenagers has swooned over these movies. So much adventure, splendid 17th century costumes, romantic love, faith and treason, it is all there! Of course the events often transgress the limits of what is credible, but who cares? Just don't be ashamed of enjoying these movies! And, of course, Michèle Mercier is splendid as the incredibly seductive and courageous heroine "Angelique".

the fragile young lady becomes a business woman, part of politic affairs, beautiful, powerful, sentimental, looking the justice and example of high courage. nothing new. only the old traits becomes more interesting. adventure. and love. that was the source of seduction of entire series for a generation of young viewers for who Mercier was a kind of goddess. the short presence of Jean La Fontaine , the references to the Fronde are small pieces who gives some credibility to a story who has not many occasions to be realistic. but that is not a sin. because it reflects only the fictionally atmosphere of a century, lovely, cruel, mysterious, and propose a charming character who, as woman, could be more interesting for admirers of fairy tales.

Angelique returns! The saga continues with Angelique now deprived of her wealth and a refugee. She reunites with her first love Nicolas - now a gang leader and a very different character to the character we saw in the first film.

With too many characters coming and going and the film dragging, I didn't find it as interesting as 'Angelique'. I could hardly keep track of all the characters. Angelique then becomes a successful chocolatier. She is as witty as ever, which salvaged the film (for me) to a certain extent.

I missed Jeoffrey (Robert Hossein) and the love story was far too much like a daily soap opera. I didn't really find any of the characters compelling - apart from Angelique, off course. The costumes and locations are once again stunning, though.

To be honest, 'Angelique: The Road to Versailles (originally 'Marveilleuse Angelique') was rather forgettable. Compared to 'Angelique' selling 60 million box office tickets, 'The Road to Versailles' only sold 10.3 million tickets. I rest my case.

This is the next aligned to the Angelica series. There is workmanship shown throughout this , namely the sets, and also the main theme is very immense suiting the movie's intended tone, lots of dire situations interspersed with light party carnival like scenes. By this movie she already gets like two other guys after the previous movie and one of them is offed just like the previous ones , a joke probably by the movie makers at this point of the fates of all her guys. I have to note this movie is actually a lighter toned one as far as sequels go because things are not as dire as in the original movie, but that is even hinted in the subtitle 'road to Versailles.' As for my review title, baguettes are tasty. With some iced tea.

That's Angelique's route.The title of the Golon's novel was "le chemin de Versailles"(=Versailles route).And like the other movies of this famous -in France- saga,it does not do the book any justice.Once again,the Golons ' depictions were often first-class,mainly in the first chapters which dealt with the notorious "Cour des Miracles" (also depicted by Victor Hugo in "Notre-Dame de Paris" (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame)).Their work was cheapened and watered-down by the screenwriters ,giving a romantic flavor to Nicolas' character (who in the book is a crude brute),and avoiding many a "horrible" line.For instance ,the fighting in Saints-Innocents charnel house -where the Belles de Paris used to come during the day to do some shopping among the skulls and the bones-is nowhere to be seen on the screen.

This is fairly entertaining swashbucklers adventures,a genre that was at its (commercial) peak in France circa 1960 thanks to actor Jean Marais ("le bossu","le capitan" "le miracle des loups")but was on the wane after 1965."Angélique was,all in all,the last hurrah(so to speak).