Maiwenn Le Bresco is a controversial director in France. Recently she confessed to attacking a journalist she didn’t like. in a restaurant. (I’m keeping this in mind, don’t worry.) She’s also famous for marrying director Luc Besson at 16. The marriage lasted four years and they have a daughter.
So why not have Johnny Depp in your movie, even for a few minutes? Two bolts of lightning for the same price. Tonight Maiween (she goes by her first name) premiered her film, “Jeanne du Barry” at the opening of the 2023 Festival des Cannes. Depp made a splash on the red carpet, taking perhaps a longer time than the minutes he appears in the film.
In “Jeanne du Barry,” Depp does not have a lot of lines. But after his divorce scandal, lawsuits he won and lost,, now a $30 million contract from Dior, everyone wants to see him again. In anything. So here he plays Louis XV, who died in 1774 at age 64. He was King for 59 years, and had many mistresses. Jeanne — hi final mistress — is played by Maiwenn. All of the other actors are French. Melvil Poupaud is best known to Americans, and stars later this year in Woody Allen’s “Coup de :Chance.” (He’s excellent.)
Depp has few lines in this comeback film. His visual presence works, however. Tonight’s audience gave him a muted but positive response. The real star of the night is Maiwenn. She stars and directs. It’s quite an achievement in an accomplished, beautifully made period piece.
For Depp this was a good move. In the right hands, Jeanne duBarry could be a hit, and cause a lot of discussion about strong women who took their own path in history. Depp, meantime, is still very much a movie star, and a king on the red carpet.
