Almost a year after opening the Cannes Film Festival, Jeanne du Barry by director Maïwenn (Mon Roi, Polisse) is now coming to our theatres. While this feature is as scandalous as its lead character—as this marks Johnny Depp’s return to the big screen—and as uneven as the central relationship, it’s still an exquisite-looking feature full of authenticity and sensitivity.
It takes a while, though, before you see that authenticity and glamour of 18th-century Versailles, where the majority of this movie is taking place, coming through. At first, the cinematography by Laurent Dailland (Aline, The History of Love) is dark and grim. That is because Jeanne du Barry (Maïwenn), born Jeanne Bécu, comes from a poorer background than the people she’ll meet later in life. However, as a determined woman who’s not afraid to use her body as a weapon, she uses the men she meets as a prostitute to climb the social ladder. Her harlotry and eccentric reputation even reach the ears of King Louis XV (Johnny Depp), and that’s when everything changes for her and this costume drama.
The doomy visuals make a place for dazzling ones. Surrounded by a mesmerizing set design and dressed in the elegant clothing of costume designer Jürgen Doering (Personal Shopper, Clouds of Sils Maria), Jeanne is taking her residence in Versailles – which is the actual Palace of Versailles as most of the scenes were shot on location – as the King’s mistress and favourite woman. Unsurprisingly, this causes a shockwave through France as others – including royalty, the King’s political advisors, and his daughters – aren’t very happy with her presence as she’s a courtesan.
A massive scandal like this caused a stir in real life, but this feature feels too restrained to have the necessary dramatic and outrageous impact. Yes, you see how the King’s daughters make fun of his mistress and how Jeanne drastically changes fashion and royal etiquette, but otherwise, this period drama feels tightly constricted. A bit more shocking and outlandish moments wouldn’t have hurt, mainly because both the King and Jeanne were well known for their lust for life, love, and seduction.
The underdeveloped screenplay also results in the need for more chemistry between the two lead characters. Only during a handful of scenes do we see both characters’ playfulness, love, and eccentricity to the fullest. Instead of being a lustful and dramatic story, the narrative is too monotonous and confined. After the events in the feature end, you learn more about what happened to Jeanne during the French Revolution and her friendship with Marie Antoinette. Including these events using real scenes instead of the title cards would have certainly made a more intriguing ending.
While Maïwenn – who only uses one name as her full name, Maïwenn Aurélia Nedjma Le Besco, is certainly a mouthful – stumbles and falls as a co-writer, she excels as an actress. The way she portrays Jeanne as someone learning the etiquette, manners, and behaviour of French royalty is emotional and humorous. While her performance is energetic and elegant, Depp’s (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Finding Neverland) acting isn’t. That is probably the result of mediocre writing and not because of a potential lack of talent.
As an actor, Depp barely makes a dent in this feature. Based on what we know about the King, from both history and whatever the screenplay tells us, he was a womanizer who rarely slept with the same woman twice in a row. That liveliness doesn’t come through in Depp’s performance, apart from the amusing two-way mirror scene and the emotional scenes towards the end.
Strangely enough, neither of the leads leaves the biggest impression. It’s Benjamin Lavernhe (The French Dispatch, The Speech) who deserves all the praise for his performance as the King’s trusted valet/fixer and the helpful and kind guide of Jeanne, who teaches her the many different ways of Versailles. His suave acting is both quiet and dynamic when it comes to emotions, humour, and wittiness. Lavernhe’s expressive performance is undoubtedly one of the key elements why the movie will keep you engaged for most of its almost two-hour runtime.
While not all the acting is on point, the stunning set design, the authenticity of the locations, and the lavish costumes ensure that Jeanne du Barry is an enjoyable and visually pleasing watch—nothing more, nothing less.
Jeanne du Barry is out in US cinemas from the 2nd of May courtesy of Vertical Entertainment
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGDk1Pekn-A]
While not all the acting is on point, the stunning set design, the authenticity of the locations, and the lavish costumes ensure that Jeanne du Barry is an enjoyable and visually pleasing watch—nothing more, nothing less.
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GVN Rating
Subtitle translator by day. Film journalist by night.
