“Sisi,” as she was widely known, became empress at age 16 in 1854. She was idolized for her infamous beauty and set the day's fashion trends. But in 1877, Elisabeth celebrates her 40th birthday and must fight to maintain her public image. Famed for her slender figure, she instructs her staff to lace her bodice ever tighter as gossip spreads that she’s put on weight. With a future of strictly ceremonial duties laid out in front of her, Elisabeth rebels against the hyperbolized image of herself and comes up with a plan to protect her legacy. She travels to England and Bavaria, visiting former lovers and old friends, seeking the excitement and purpose of her youth.

Phantom Thread star Vicky Krieps puts in a terrific performance as Empress Elisabeth. Writer-director Marie Kreutzer explores the contrast between her ceremonial public image and her personal desires in a film that is reminiscent of the Diana film Spencer and Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. Kreutzer’s rebellious and tightlaced Elisabeth refuses to capitulate, waging a war of attrition that results in a glorious climax.