criticism little dazzled by the dull sun of aristocracy

Turn in Versailles and deploying a deluge of lace, candles and powdered wigs are enough to produce beautiful vignettes. It is not certain, however, that this is enough to make a good film. This is essentially the sentiment of the press towards Jeanne du Barrythe new feature film by Maiwenn screened Tuesday evening at the opening of Cannes film festival and release this Wednesday in theaters.

The tone oscillates, according to the critics, between an exasperating lack of excess and a just measure dosed to the millimeter. Kind enough, Telerama is delighted with the delicate balance of this film “strangely posed”. “From trifles to gallant parties, the film is playful, faithful to the spirit of the 18th^e century, skims over things nicely, stays on the surface”, writes Jacques Morice. For Jordan Mintzer, of HollywoodReporter these subtle blooms have a name: boredom. “Once you arrive at Versailles, everything is reduced to a sometimes broken succession of monotonous rituals”he regrets.

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It must be said that academicism reigns over this history film, which does not hide sailing in the sequel to the Barry Lyndon of Stanley Kubrick and some Marie Antoinette of Sofia Coppola. This makes some yawn. Others, like Jérôme Garcin for The Obs are overwhelmed by the high pace of the feature film “shot in 35 mm, which one would believe lit with the candles”, and congratulate Maïwenn, she who “even dare clicism”. For Celine Rouden, of The cross the filmmaker loses in exchange for this move upmarket, and trades her “form of urgency and improvisation” for a tone “a bit too clic and starchy”.

The formal restraint of the film also showers the slightest scorching spark of this biography of the mistress of Louis XV. “Despite its pungent subject matter on royalty, Jeanne du Barry is much more harmless than series Versailles by Canal+ or the recent Freedom by Albert Serra »observes Peter Debruge for variety . Catherine Ball, from Parisian thus finds “a fairy tale side” to the movie; the impression is shared by Adam Sanchez of QGwhich umes that it had to go hand in hand with ity “completely abandoned” of this movie definitely “stilted”.

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Johnny Depp, King of France

If the program turns out to be heartbreakingly lukewarm, the show exults despite everything – and in the opinion of almost everyone – a splendor at all times. “Life circulates. Here we are. The money is on the screen. The budget can be seen”enthuses Éric Neuhoff, who praises the “chiade reconstruction” from the movie in his review for Le Figaro . The budget, precisely, amounts to more than 20 million euros, as does not fail to point out a shovel of critics.

The stamp of Johnny Depp receives less publicity. After crossing the desert, the time to his lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard, the fallen star returns to the big screen in the costume of Louis XV. The facetious interpreter of the captain Jack Sparrow in the saga Pirates of the Caribbeanplays it mezza voce alongside Maïwenn. “We have rarely seen the actor so absent from himself, as if he remained mentally in his dressing room”shot Murielle Joudet for The Inrocks unkind to the actor “jet-lagué in the middle of French cinema”.

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Johnny Depp delivers in French the few lines that the screenplay offers him. For Release Sandra Onana is paying for this French-speaking essay by the actor, “Rican wreck at the end of the line”, “ face strained with concentration” And “articulating his lines like at the speech therapist”. The opinion of the Anglo-Saxon press is similarly dismayed. “Depp is perhaps the least suitable actor – after hulk hogan – to embody a monarch of the Ancien Régime”chokes Robbie Collin, of the Telegram .

Why on earth did you repot Hollywood’s withered flower in the gardens of Versailles? Jacques Mandelbaum sees in it one score among others of the immense game of autobiographical mirrors that would be the Jeanne du Barry by Maïwenn. The filmmaker, thus, “do not go so much towards the du Barry as she pulls her towards her”analyzes the critic of World who sees Luc Besson – former companion of the director – in Louis XV and the film industry in the intrigues of the royal court. Maïwenn’s film then appears as a vain project, the product of pure coquetry cut by and for its filmmaker. There is a word to describe it. Like the cowardly Antoine Desrues for Widescreenthis is called a “ego trip”.