It might be that Marie still waits for a true incarnation, but Jacquot's pushing her beyond likeability is refreshing.

His portrait loses some of its eerie power through the ugly twist at the film's conclusion, but she remains a fascinating enigma, and touchingly human.

Jacquot has chosen wisely in casting La Seydoux in the key role of Sidonie, whose luminous but watchful eyes suggest a soul wise beyond her years.

Farewell, My Queen really comes into its own as a critique of the vacuous and self-destructive denial of the elite with regard to the shifting status quo, which would have been more than substantial enough to carry the premise.