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Rating: It's true that right now the movie "Oppenheimer" is breaking box office records in cinemas (and here on Debaser it has already garnered no less than five reviews in just a few days), but thank God there are other films circulating. And while it might not be a masterpiece, this "Jeanne du Barry - The King's Favorite" deserves some attention, even if it will soon be available for streaming on Netflix. But you know, since I'm an incurable fan of movie theaters, a few nights ago I chose this film (a modest two-hour duration) over the box office hit "Oppenheimer," a colossal three-hour movie.
I definitely chose blindly, as I was unaware of director Maiwenn, who also diligently plays the lead role. But I trusted Johnny Depp's name on the poster in the role of King Louis XV. And that choice paid off well.
The plot focuses (and remains faithful to historical facts) on the social rise of one Marie Jeanne Becu, a commoner who lived in Enlightenment-era France. From a young age, she shows herself very receptive to everything taught to her by the elderly nobles her mother serves. To complete her education, she is sent to a convent school, from which she will be expelled to shouts of "Daughter of Satan!" due to her readings of libertine texts. From that moment on, the young woman, not only learned but also endowed with undeniable seductive charm, will make her fortune in the salons of high Parisian society until she is presented to King Louis XV at the Palace of Versailles. It will be love at first sight, and the notoriously hedonistic king will want her at court as his official mistress. Several years will follow in which Jeanne du Barry will know how to love, reciprocated, by the monarch and will be at the center of attention not only for her eccentric manners by court standards but also for her predilection for the arts and culture in general. All this will spark gossip and envy from many courtiers and especially the king’s wicked daughters. Intrigue will follow, and unfortunately, in 1774, Louis XV will die of smallpox, bringing about the decline of Jeanne du Barry's fortunes. Needless to say, when the French Revolution breaks out in 1789, everything that was part of the monarchy and nobility will be swept away, and even the king's former favorite, once a daughter of the people, will be guillotined. Sic transit gloria mundi...
The plot's unfolding is precise, and the director presents the story with meticulous detail, free of errors, drawing, from a technical perspective, on Kubrick's lesson with the unforgettable "Barry Lyndon" inspired by the novel by William Thackeray. Thus, it’s very pleasing to revisit scenes shot in candlelit interiors and chandeliers, in line with a well-tested exercise in style. Certainly, Kubrick's film was more intense compared to Maiwenn's work, which instead has the merit of bringing attention back to a very emancipated woman for those times when education was the prerogative of those of high lineage, and a woman from the people lived under harsh conditions.
Nonetheless, it remains a confirmation of a deeply held belief that the mere presence of high-caliber actors or actresses ensures that a film, even if not particularly noteworthy, redeems itself and is worth watching. For me, as far as actors are concerned, this golden rule applied when names like Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, and Jack Nicholson were involved. Since the first two have passed away and the third no longer acts due to health problems, only an actor like Johnny Depp remains to guarantee a film's quality. With a totally natural and spontaneous performance, almost like he's having a coffee at the bar, devoid of any overly theatrical mannerisms, Depp gives us a Louis XV not at all haughty, but genuinely convinced of the theatrical and illusory nature of his regal power, immersed in artificial rituals like the morning wake-up in the presence of valets, family members, and courtiers who must have seemed supremely ridiculous. And just seeing Johnny Depp as King Louis XV smirking at all these court minuets is enough to consider the film "Jeanne du Barry - The King's Favorite" worthy of a viewing.
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