Well, Thierry Fremaux got the opening night press that he wanted. The 76th Cannes Film Festival officially began with Maiwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry.” I’ll have a review up by tomorrow morning.
The film has been, predictably, ill-received by the English-language press. A 51 on Metacritic isn’t good.
Regardless, as is customary with all these big premieres, ‘Jeanne’ and Depp received a 7-minute standing ovation and you could feel the love in the room for Depp who teared up as the crowd applauded him. A genuinely touching moment.
Deep has been put through the ringer for the better part of three years because of the Amber Heard allegations. He’s very much a supporting player in ‘Jeanne’ but the film is being dubbed his “comeback” vehicle.
Outside the Palais theater, a balcony above the street had a noticeable sign that read “Viva Johnny” as people shouted his name over and over. He was warmly greeted by the crowd.
In an interview with Variety, Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux addressed the potential backlash to having “Jeanne du Barry” opening the festival:
I don’t see Maïwenn’s film as a controversial choice at all, because if Johnny Depp had been banned from working it would have been different, but that’s not the case […] We only know one thing, it’s the justice system and I think he won the legal case in court. But the movie isn’t about Johnny Depp.
It seems like an overwhelming amount of the French population has sided with Depp, who has an admired history with the country, especially after marrying French actress Vanessa Paradis and living in that country for many years.
Leave it to the French to push back on the allegations and let Depp’s stardom rise again. Up next for him is a directorial effort with Al Pacino.
Of course, many in the media, who had a clearcut bias against Depp before the trial even began, are still engaging in their own kind of defaming, trying to spin Depp’s victory and destroy his careee. They hate him. Even if he prevailed in court.
Some folks are just vehemently addicted to victimhood narratives and Amber Heard was, and still is, a victim according to them.
Major shakeup for a film that was announced just two weeks ago, and is supposed to come out next year. Was this thing in production when these changes happened?