Cannes movie pageant normal delegate Thierry Frémaux has defended the choice to hand the prestigious opening slot to Jeanne du Barry, by which Depp stars as Louis XV.
Directed by and starring Maïwenn, Jeanne du Barry is a biopic of the well-known 18th-century maîtresse-en-titre, who was executed in 1793 in the course of the French revolution. Speaking to Variety, Frémaux mentioned it was not “a controversial alternative”, including: “If Johnny Depp had been banned from working it might have been completely different, however that’s not the case. We solely know one factor, it’s the justice system and I believe he gained the authorized case.”
Depp emerged largely victorious from a trial between himself and his former spouse Amber Heard, by which each made allegations of defamation towards the opposite. On the conclusion of the trial, Depp was profitable on three counts and awarded greater than $10m in damages, whereas Heard was profitable on one, and awarded $2m. Subsequent appeals towards the decision from each side have been deserted after they agreed to settle the case. Nonetheless, Depp’s repute has taken a battering after complaints about his lawyers’ trial tactics.
Frémaux additionally mentioned a grievance of assault towards Maïwenn by high-profile journalist Edwy Plenel wouldn’t have an effect on the movie’s participation at Cannes. An AFP report said that Plenel claimed Maïwenn assaulted him in a restaurant in Paris in February. The Guardian has contacted Maïwenn’s representatives for remark. Frémaux mentioned: “This has nothing to do with the pageant, particularly since we realized of the existence of this grievance after saying Jeanne du Barry on the opening of Cannes.”
Frémaux additionally responded to a query in regards to the new movie by Woody Allen, a film-maker who has been constantly championed by Cannes regardless of ongoing controversies round him within the US, however whose new movie doesn’t seem within the line-up. In an interview with Le Figaro, Frémaux mentioned that, regardless of seeing it, he had not chosen Allen’s new movie, a French-language crime romance known as Coup de Likelihood, partly as a result of “we all know that if his movie is proven at Cannes, the controversy would take over, towards his movie, towards the opposite movies”. Nonetheless, Frémaux mentioned the movie “was not a candidate”, suggesting it was both not deemed ok or was not prone to be prepared in time.
Allen’s movies have recurrently appeared at Cannes, most just lately in 2016 with the interval comedy Café Society, starring Jesse Eisenberg. Nonetheless, the director stays a divisive determine within the movie trade and elsewhere. Allen’s four-picture take care of Amazon Studios collapsed in 2018 within the fallout from renewed consideration round allegations by the director’s adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, that he had sexually abused her. Allen has all the time denied the allegation; two investigations have been closed with no costs being introduced towards him. Allen’s memoir Apropos of Nothing was subsequently dropped by publishers Hachette, however was picked up and published by Arcade in 2020. Notable figures together with Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem and Alec Baldwin have defended Allen, whereas Kate Winslet, Rebecca Corridor, Colin Firth and Michael Caine are amongst those who have said they would no longer work with him.
Frémaux additionally mentioned he “hadn’t seen” the brand new movie from one other controversial film-maker, Roman Polanski, who’s at the moment engaged on a comedy known as The Palace, set on New Yr’s Eve in 1999, and starring Fanny Ardant, John Cleese and German actor Oliver Masucci. Polanski has remained a resident in France, because the nation refuses to extradite him over an excellent US warrant for fleeing a courtroom case by which he was convicted of statutory rape of a 13-year-old woman. Polanski was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the physique that organises the Oscars, in 2018, and his best director César in 2020 for his Drefus drama J’Accuse sparked walkouts. Polanski final appeared at Cannes in 2013 with erotic drama Venus in Fur.
