Jeanne du Barry – The king’s favorite, the perfect comeback of Johnny Depp

Jeanne du Barry – The king’s favourite. It is not just the title of a film, but the expression of a title that has fallen into disuse, of which the real Jeanne could boast, that of maitresse-en-titre, especially if it was the last and perhaps the most influential in the history of the French court. Why yes, the featured protagonist of the latest film by Maiwenn (just released in theaters), director and interpreter of the character, is a real revolutionary, capable of going against the absurdities of French royal life and winning over the king thanks to its diversity. The work tells a story of social redemption: she illegitimate daughter of a monk and a cook, has more than humble origins, a far from happy childhood, made up of convents, transfers and uncertainties. As in the most classic of stories, hunger is fuel for one’s ambition: Jeanne quickly learns to make the most of her charm, to be the mistress of her body, developing a genuine careerism that will lead her to be among Luigi’s courtiers XV. Jeanne’s genuineness is the point diametrically opposed to the classism of the French aristocracy, made up of ridiculous protocols and absurd rules of deportment badly digested even by the king himself. The meeting between the two will represent the right opportunity to subvert the habits of the palace, clashing with the dissent of His Majesty’s daughters and the older members of the royal family, finding solid support instead in La Borde, assistant and friend of the king, the one who will teach Jeanne how to behave and survive at court, a bit like Nigel did with Andy ne The devil wears Prada.

Maïwenn’s film, which opened the Cannes film festival last May, is well done, although it does not enjoy a pressing pace, it is almost never long-winded, the tempo is well marked in line with court habits, always suitable for a climate of extreme composure. The happiest note can only be the return of Johnny Depp, good at wearing the crown of Louis XV, cold in the institutional scenes, disorganized and easygoing in those of intimacy with Jeanne du Barry. The American actor gives an excellent performance, despite the difficulties encountered on the set with the director and colleague on the set, who deserves credit for being the first to believe in him again, despite admitting that working together was complicated. The complexity of his nature explains the figure of the favourite, the king’s official lover who is not at all secret, a well-established habit of which Louis XV took the tradition to heart, changing at least fourteen women during his existence. A social ascent and a deep fall from grace, two constructive hours to get to know a distant story and well revived in our days.