The Cannes Film Festival is underway and if history is any guide, we will see Best Picture contenders emerge from the south of France over the next few days. Just last year, Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness was one of the Academy’s 10 BP hopefuls. Two films playing out of competition (Elvis and Top Gun: Maverick) ended up in competition at the Oscars. Keep an eye on this blog for coverage of all the Cannes pics and their awards viability.
It starts with Jeanne du Barry. The 18th-century set French drama comes from Maïwenn, who directs herself in the title role. Domestically the premiere is generating lots of attention for one particular costar – Johnny Depp as King Louis XV (attempting a comeback after the trials of the past few years). Other costars include Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Melvin Poupaud, Pascal Greggory, India Hair, and Noémie Lvovsky.
The first handful of reviews are mostly positive though hardly gushing with an early Rotten Tomatoes score of 80%. France could peg it as their selection in International Feature Film, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they ultimately choose not to.
I don’t see this as much of a player at the Oscars… with one exception. Praise for the costume design leads me to think it could nab one of those five slots (whether it’s up in any other race or not). My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…