This year’s opening film in Cannes has been so engulfed in scandal that few had hope it’d be any good. Its writer-director-star Maiwenn first caused consternation by choosing Johnny Depp to play Louis XV, in what would be his first acting role since his hugely acrimonious divorce from Amber Heard – she famously accused him of domestic violence. Then, not long before the festival started, Maiwenn admitted that she had spat in the face of a journalist. He has since filed a complaint against her for assault. Many have asked: what on earth is Cannes doing?
Against the odds, Jeanne du Barry has turned out to be a subtle and well-crafted costume drama with plenty of satirical bite. It has more in common with Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon than it does Pirates of the Caribbean, with Depp giving one of his more restrained and effective performances as the king who falls in love with a courtesan. His Louis is a taciturn, melancholy but commanding figure with a dark side.
