First-time writer-director Joann Sfar, known for his popular comic ‘The Rabbi’s Cat’, tries to get under the skin of his subject, French pop crooner Serge Gainsbourg, rather than detail his every scandalous misadventure.
To a certain extent he succeeds, leaving us in no doubt of the lasting impression made on young Lucien Ginsburg by being forced to wear a yellow star in wartime Paris, where Nazi propaganda covered the streets with anti-Semitic grotesquerie. The film’s most daring move is to have one of these caricatures step down off the wall and become a life-size marionette which follows Gainsbourg around. However, instead of eating away at his confidence, ‘La Gueule’ (‘The Mug’) becomes a Tyler Durden-esque alter-ego prompting showbiz-aspirant Serge to further deeds of daring naughtiness. Yes, my boy, you shall shag Salvador Dalí’s girlfriend on the artist’s sofa!
With chic animated interludes adding to the appeal, it’s clear there’s an element of visual brio not found in every musical biopic, as this self-styled ‘Vie Héroïque’ happily encompasses sundry winning female performances (Anna Mouglalis as a slinky Ms Greco, Laetitia Casta as a voluptuous Bardot, the late Lucy Gordon as a gamine Miss Birkin) while happily spotlighting lookalike Eric Elmosnino's convincingly addled incarnation of the title role.
To a certain extent he succeeds, leaving us in no doubt of the lasting impression made on young Lucien Ginsburg by being forced to wear a yellow star in wartime Paris, where Nazi propaganda covered the streets with anti-Semitic grotesquerie. The film’s most daring move is to have one of these caricatures step down off the wall and become a life-size marionette which follows Gainsbourg around. However, instead of eating away at his confidence, ‘La Gueule’ (‘The Mug’) becomes a Tyler Durden-esque alter-ego prompting showbiz-aspirant Serge to further deeds of daring naughtiness. Yes, my boy, you shall shag Salvador Dalí’s girlfriend on the artist’s sofa!
With chic animated interludes adding to the appeal, it’s clear there’s an element of visual brio not found in every musical biopic, as this self-styled ‘Vie Héroïque’ happily encompasses sundry winning female performances (Anna Mouglalis as a slinky Ms Greco, Laetitia Casta as a voluptuous Bardot, the late Lucy Gordon as a gamine Miss Birkin) while happily spotlighting lookalike Eric Elmosnino's convincingly addled incarnation of the title role.
In the end the film suffers, as did 'Walk The Line' and a host of other music-star biopics, from following the lifestory too literally rather than taking a fictional whizz on the idea. Come back Ken Russell, all is forgiven.
Other new stuff this month...
5 DAYS OF WAR (2011)
CONAN THE BARBARIAN (2011)
GUARD, THE (2011)
CATCH .44 (2011)
GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD, THE (2011)
GANTZ (2010)
JANE EYRE (2011)
SENNA (2011)
SENNA (2011) BLU-RAY
COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011)
COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011) BLU-RAY
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2011)
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2011) BLU-RAY
GREEN LANTERN (2011)
LARRY CROWNE (2011)
BEAUTIFUL LIES (2010)
WU XIA (2011)
WICKER MAN, THE (1973)
CONAN THE BARBARIAN (2011) BLU-RAY
TREE OF LIFE, THE (2011)
TROLL HUNTER (2010)
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS (2011)
CARLOS (2010) CRITERION
EVIL DEAD, THE (1981) BLU-RAY
EVIL DEAD 2 (1987) BLU-RAY
AO: THE LAST NEANDERTHAL (2010)
JOHNNY THE GIANT KILLER (1950)
STAR SPANGLED GIRL (1971)
FUTURAMA SEASON 5 (2009-2010)
A MAN VANISHES (1967)
R (2010)
30ROCK SEASON 4 (2009)
A BING CROSBY CHRISTMAS (1998)
THE COMPLETE HUMPHREY JENNINGS (1934-1940) BLU-RAY
THE COMPLETE HUMPHREY JENNINGS (1934-1940)
ORPHEUS (1950) CRITERION
GAINSBOURG (2010)
STRIP-TEASE (1963)
LE BEAU SERGE (1958) CRITERION
KURONEKO (1968) CRITERION
JUMPING JACK FLASH (1986)
CONTACT (2000)