2011 marks the 20th anniversary of Serge Gainsbourg's death and time has not diminished the fascination with the maverick and musical genius. Joann Sfar's "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)" is an emotional fairy tale that combines what Sfar imagines Gainsbourg's (Eric Elmosnino) internal life must have been with documented biographical highs and low. Sfar's completely original and fanciful spin is a welcomed edition to the already extensive catalog of artist, directors and fans who have created works in homage to Serge Gainsbourg.
"Gainsbourg" covers the singer from his early years growing up in Nazi-occupied Paris to his youth as an aspiring artist through his years from as an unknown cabaret pianists to global superstar in the 1960s. No biopic about Gainsbourg would be complete without mention of the many women in Gainsourg's life Brigitte Bardot (Laetitia Casta), Juliette Greco (Anna Mouglalis), Jane Birkin (Lucy Gordon) and Bambou (Mylène Jampanoï). But the film is not a seedy rearranging of the racier aspect of Gainsbourg's life.
As the intriguing additions to the title “vie héroïque” (heroic life) and “un conte de Joann Sfar” (a fairytale by Joann Sfar) indicate, Sfar adds his own unique creative vision to what may have been just another biopic. Sfar presents Gainsbourg as an incredibly talented and intelligent man, who is deeply haunted by his child experience as a French Jew during World War II. Sfar's Gainsbourg is an artist driven by the demons. Making the film truly his own Sfar adds first an enormous fat faced alter-ego who has insolence, charm and impishness to match the young Gainsbourg's own followed by a gangly, rebellious and over the top alter-ego who prods and cajoles Gainsbourg, forcing him to move beyond his own innate shyness and insecurity. The film presents us with with a vulnerable Serge Gainsbourg with a tragic life very heavily influenced and informed by Sfar's background in graphic novels.
The real Gainsbourg was far from perfect and "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)" does not address his womanizing, drinking or sleazy antics, but what it does do is hint at what made Serge Gainsbourg one of the world's most versatile and influential popular musicians of the 20th century. The better your French the more that hint become an outright demonstration of his poetic lyricism. But little or no French does not take away from the creative storytelling, great performances and outstanding music. www.gainsbourgaheroiclife.com/
Joann Sfar talks about his unique take on the life of Serge Gainsbourg on page 47 of the August 2010 issue of "Sight & Sound". "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)" is the winner of the 2011 Césars (France’s equivalents of the Academy Award) for Best First Film and Best Actor. Eric Elmosnino also won the Best Actor Award from the Tribeca Film Festival Award for his brilliant portrayal of Serge Gainsbourg.
Cast: Eric Elmosnino (Serge Gainsbourg), Lucy Gordon (Jane Birkin), Laetitia Casta (Brigitte Bardot), Doug Jones (La Gueule), Anna Mouglalis (Juliette Gréco), full cast and crew.
US Release Date: 20 January 2010 (France). Written and directed by Joann Sfar. Released by Music Box Films. Running time: 122 minutes; MPAA Rated NR; genre: drama; language: French.
Opening October 28, 2011 at Landmark’s Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco, Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley, Camera 3 in San Jose, and Rafael Film Center in San Rafael.
Pamela Alexander-Beutler is the editor in chief of the ReelMATERIAL film journal. For more of Pamela's movie reviews and interviews visit www.reelmaterial.com, take a look at some of her favorite trailers at ReelTRAILERS on YouTube and follower her on twitter @reel_material.
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