Cannes 2023; will Brie Larson’s admission about Johnny Depp’s film influence the Palme d’Or Jury?

It would be unfair not to look at the other side of the Johnny Depp/Cannes Film Festival argument with his comeback film set to open the 76th edition of the film industry's most lucrative event. With Cannes Police confirming a near to “zero tolerance” approach to protests that may take place, both in the wake of the pension reform unrest that continues in France and the complicated matter of Johnny Depp’s opening night film being denounced by anti-domestic abuse campaigners, one of the official jury members involved in judging those films in competition has admitted their unease at watching tonight’s screening of Jeanne du Barry.

Brie Larson, taking questions from the press, was questioned about her feelings regarding the opening night film; “You’re asking me that?” she responded during a jury press conference on Tuesday. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand the correlation or why me specifically.” When pressed, Larson added, “You’ll see, I guess, if I will see it. And I don’t know how I’ll feel about it if I do.”

Larson, one of the prominent voices during the #MeToo movement would not have to go and watch the movie as it is screening out of competition. But much like not RSVPing to a wedding whether you want to go or not, the idea of a jury member missing one of the more accoladed films to premiere this year at the festival might not be the best set of optics regarding her role for those films in competition.

Despite her sentiments about whether she will or will not attend the glitzy opening of the 12 day event, she has yet to break any rules Cannes have in place regarding what the jury can and cannot do. 

Three of the rules jurors are given include evaluating each film objectively, without bias or favouritism. They should judge the films solely based on their artistic merit, storytelling, and cinematic qualities, consider the films in their entirety and evaluate them based on their own merits, rather than comparing them to one another. Each film should be given a fair chance and assessed independently and  expected to approach their role with professionalism, expertise, and respect for the filmmakers and their creative endeavours.

These rules, however, are subject to change - and given the critical mass building between Pro-Depp supporters and anti-Depp/Pro-Herd fans are building ahead of the film’s general theatrical release, perhaps this is one of the main reasons why the film is set to be screened out of competition.