Ulliel and Thierry as on-screen lovers

With French fairytale castles and a handsome prince, we settled in for an evening of escapism and discovered there is more than meets the eye to The Princess of Montpensier.

I’m not a huge fan of period films so I expected to find it a bit of a slog sitting through nearly two and a half hours of war-torn France circa 1562. I was, however, missing the point entirely: it is simply a beautiful, realistic love story.

The film centres on young heiress Marie de Mézières (Mélanie Thierry) who is in love with strapping warrior the Duc de Guise (played by the rather breathtaking Gaspard Ulliel, who you’ll recognise from the Bleu de Chanel ads). Unfortunately for Marie, her father forces her into a marriage of prestige with the Prince of Montpensier (Gregoire LePrince-Ringuet).

After consummating their marriage in a delightfully awkward scene with relatives witnessing the event, the prince is summoned to fight and sends his wife to stay with his dependable friend the Comte de Chabannes (Lambert Wilson). A strong friendship grows between the princess and Chabannes as she attempts to subdue her feelings for the Duc and decides to learn to write. Despite his professionalism and loyalty to his friend, Chabannes is dazzled by Marie’s beauty, ambition and intelligence, and professes his love to her.

Over the course of the film we see Marie’s mature, yet naïve character develop as she endeavours to create a happy marriage for herself and her husband. Although never playing the seductress, her natural beauty and charm put her on the receiving end of the affections of Montpensier, Chabannes, Guise and the Duc d’Anjou (Raphael Personnaz). Despite spending most of the film diplomatically trying to keep everyone happy, Marie becomes the catalyst for bitter rivalry and misery.

The Princess of Montpensier is based on a short novel by Madame de La Fayette and it is the strength of this story, which gives the film its gravitas. I’m sure the lack of grandiose costumes, realistic fighting scenes and historical detail will disappoint some; however I found this humbling approach made me all the more focused on the dilemma facing Marie and her relationships with the four men with whom she is entwined. Thierry is entrancing as a multi-faceted princess who is refreshingly modern and mature in her demeanour. In a stereotypical role reversal we see Montpensier succumb to jealousy as his wife cannot convey genuine love for him.

In The Princess of Montpensier, director Bertrand Tavernier creates a tense love triangle of Shakespearean proportions, which is expressed beautifully through the picture perfect cast.

The trailer for The Princess of Montpensier