CANNES – She’s won an Academy Award and dealt with toxic, misogynist fans over the $1 billion success of “Ms. Marvel.” Still, we’re not 100% sure Brie Larson knew what she was getting into when she was asked to join the Cannes Film Festival Jury. During a press conference introducing the jury to the global press corps, Larson said she was surprised to have been asked and added, “I have never been here before so to be asked was such an honor.” About 10 minutes later, Larson was stumped by a question, not from an international journalist, but a familiar face from Variety, no less.
READ MORE: 7 Big Questions For The Cannes Film Festival 2023
There has been a genuine amount of controversy about the festival’s opening night film, Maïwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry,” which features Johnny Depp in what some are touting as a comeback role. Depp still has a polarizing reputation in the United States over the allegations of spousal abuse concerning his now ex-wife Amber heard. Depp lost a libel case in the United Kingdom but won a similar case stateside. A case which where the financial judgment was eventually settled out of court between the two parties.
Larson, who was a member of the now-dissolved Time’s Up advisory board, was asked how she felt about Depp’s film being at the festival and if she would attend the premiere. The “Room” star looked perplexed and responded with, “You’re asking me that?”
After the reporter clarified his question, Larson thought for a moment and then noted tersely, “I don’t understand the correlation or why me specifically. You’ll see if I guess if I see it and I don’t know how I’ll feel if I do.”
Both Larson, jury member Paul Dano, and jury President Ruben Ostlund were asked their thoughts about the ongoing WGA strike back in the United States. Ostlund gave his support to those looking to “change the conditions of their profession” with a resounding “Yeah go!” Dano added a real-world connection noting, “My wife is currently picketing with our six-month-old on her chest and I will go and be on the picket line when I get home from here.”
Thankfully, the annual Cannes kick-off event had a lot more light-hearted moments.
When asked about her reaction to being invited to join the jury, filmmaker Rungano Nyoni admitted, “I thought it was a scam. I’m really paranoid so I googled everyone. And then I still thought it was a scam, but it’s getting more and more elaborate so I’ll say yes. And I still think it is. I’m still shocked.”
Ostlund who won his second Palme d’Or for “Triangle of Sadness” remarked, “I was super happy. I was very honored. I felt, ‘Oh, it was happening 10 years too early, maybe?’ I thought I was way too young to have this position already. But had one day to think it and then I was definitely saying yes. I really really wanted to do it. I was looking forward to being on the jury in such a concentrated way and getting to know how the audience works, it’s a great exercise for a director to be in Cannes and to watch movie after movie. To understand how the dynamic works. There are so many reasons why I enjoy to be here. “
The Swedish filmmaker revealed that he expects the jury to meet after every three films or so (more often than most juries) and try not to over-intellectualize the process.
“You try to create a certain atmosphere where people don’t have to be smart all the time,” Ostlund says. “Because people shouldn’t be scared to say what they feel and what their gut feeling is and what comes to them. And if you have a jury atmosphere where everyone is trying to top each other and is intellectually smarter than each other, then you are missing out on something. So, I really, with this jury, we try to erase the ceiling and we should dare to try out what we want to say and then find our formulation along the way. We don’t have to be smart. We have to formulate our first instinct.”
He eventually added he wanted a “loud debate about all the films” with a “warm feeling in the background” and that he is “not going to accept that someone is sitting and leaning back” and not participating in the discussion. He also had a warning for publicists and journalists trying to get information about what the jury likes this year insisting there will be no leaks.
“There will be no rumors,” Ostlund says. “Yeah, we are going to keep our mouths completely shut this year.”
Ah, that sounds like a challenge. Let’s see how that works out on the notoriously loose-lipped Croisette.
The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 16-27. Look for complete coverage including reviews, news, interviews, and analysis on The Playlist.