French Friday Movie 

HISTORICAL DRAMA / FRANCE / 2023 / 117 MINS / M

In French with English subtitles

Directed by:  Maïwenn

Starring:  Maïwenn, Johnny Depp, Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Melvil Poupaud, Pascal Greggory, India Hair, Pauline Pollmann, Noémie Lvovsky

It's 18th Century, pre-Revolution France. Jeanne Bécu, the illegitimate daughter of a seamstress, hungers for culture and pleasure, and is determined to escape her commoner upbringing. With charm and sharp wit, she builds a reputation as a skilled courtesan and her benefactor, the Comte du Barry grows rich through her amorous encounters. Wishing to present her to the widowed King Louis XV, a renowned womaniser, the Comte orchestrates a meeting through the influential Duke of Richelieu.

For Jeanne and Louis, it’s intoxication at first sight; soon the King, rediscovering his appetite for life, anoints her as his new favourite. Unapologetically ignoring propriety and etiquette, with the help of his valet La Borde, Louis moves her into his Versailles palace, sparking both derision and scandal... and jeopardising relations with the newly-arrived Marie Antoinette, the Austrian queen-in-waiting... 

Reviews
'Unmissable". MADAME FIGARO

" Magnificently staged. A classic but very contemporary and totally inhabited film". Catherine Balle LE PARISIEN

"Mischievous. A sparkling tale where historical realism and fantasy combine". Jacques Morice TÉLÉRAMA

"Strikes straight to the heart with its tragic romanticism, its lyricism and its crafted dialogues which convey a fierce modernity". Stéphanie Belpêche LE JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE

"A subtle and well-crafted costume drama with plenty of satirical bite, laying bare the absurdity and chauvinism of court life. As a director, Maiwenn pays exhaustive attention to costume and production design, and also makes very inventive use of its Versailles locations." Geoffrey Macnab THE INDEPENDENT

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