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Jefferson in Paris is a visual treat, an eye-filling, splendidly staged and costumed attempt to realistically recreate a slice of turbulent history--the years (1784-1789) which Thomas Jefferson spent as the American Ambassador to the Court of Louis XVI just prior to the French Revolution.
Hollywood's attempts to portray history have not been uniformly successful, but--fortunately--Jefferson in Paris was made by a hugely talented trio who have proven themselves in many great movies--James Ivory the director; Ruth Prawer Jhabvala the script writer, and Ismail Merchant the producer.
Tackling Jefferson's years in a turbulent Paris is a daunting challenge, and the film meets much, but by no means all, of it.
Nick Nolte, at the head of a huge cast, plays the enigmatic Jefferson. Gwyneth Paltrow is his daughter, Patsy. Thandie Newton is Sally Hemings the beautiful young slave girl who accompanied Jefferson's second daughter, Polly, to...