Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
Yves Saint Laurent is the newest film by actor-director Jalil Lespert and centers (as you might have guessed) on the fashion legend, namely on his earlier years and rise to popularity. You get pretty much what you could expect: YSL's constant changes between suffering personality and creative genius as well as lots of drama in terms of homosexuality, trust and betrayal of friendship, affairs etc.Unfortunately, not only Pierre Niney as YSL could not only convince me (wasn't really his fault though, more of the shoddy writing), but the whole film fell flat. It was all too showy and in your face. Zero subtlety. You hardly learned anything about the character, but it was all focused on putting as much theatricality and sensationalism as possible in these over 100 minutes. And then randomly include a meeting with Kalr Lagerfeld. The only really positive aspect of this one was Guillaume Gallienne as Pierre Bergé, who gave a quality portrayal and it was actually captivating to watch his actions and how he walked the fine line of dealing with the fragile genius. That is not enough though to save the film. Not recommended. You really need to have deep interest into the world of fashion to appreciate this film or maybe then you will hate it even more. Lets hope YSL gets a better biopic in the near future. He certainly deserves it.
leonblackwood
Review: This movie gives an in depth look into Yves Saint Laurent life, which had its ups and downs throughout his successful career in the fashion industry. I liked the way that the director showed how he became famous after his brief take over from Christian Dior. It really does show the dark side of his life and his battle with his inner demons whilst trying to sustain his career. Pierre Berge really was the genius behind the business side of his fashion world, but when it came to the actual designing and production of his amazing clothes, you really can't fault Saint Laurent. His whole thought process was extremely unique which was noticed by Pierre, earlier on his in career. After battling through many obstacles in his life, Yves always received love from the public through his fashion which is still popular to this day. As a movie, I found it entertaining and an eye opener, into a world which I know nothing about. Enjoyable!Round-Up: I haven't heard of any of the actors in this movie before, but man, they really did do a good job. The emotion and drama throughout the movie was great and the performance by the leading actor couldn't have been played better by anyone else. His mannerism and gestures were spot on and he actually did look like Saint Laurent. I would have liked to see what had happened in his career before he sadly died in 2008 of brain cancer, but it's still a very well put together biopic. After watching the bonus features on the DVD, I saw that the real Pierre Berge helped with the move and he gave them permission to use the real clothes and shoot in Yves apartments which shows how in depth the movie really is. It would have been good to see some real footage of the man himself, but that's just me being fussy. I'm not usually one that likes movies with subtitles, but I didn't lose interest throughout the movie, which is a plus for me.Budget: €12million Worldwide Gross: $20millionI recommend this movie to people who are interested in Yves Saint Laurent and the troubled mind behind his successful career as a fashion designer. 6/10
mistercsays1
In many respects, this biopic of the titular fashion designer is everything you might expect. It is full of beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes in beautiful surrounds. Fortunately though, Yves Saint Laurent is much more than that and we do get some insight into a man whose demons very nearly threatened to derail his reputation and career on more than one occasion. Too often, biographical films try to cram too much into the limited running time that a motion picture necessarily demands, so it is very pleasing that director Jalil Lespert has avoided the temptation to cover every stage of Saint Laurent's life and career, opting instead to focus, for the most part, on his emergence as a pre-eminent figure in French fashion circles and the ensuing bouts of self-destructive behaviour that threatened to overshadow his creative genius. The film does touch on the later stages of Saint Laurent's life, but primarily to contextualise the relationship with lifelong partner Pierre Berge, who we first meet in a pre-credit sequence set after Saint Laurent's death. The story is then told as a recollection of events from Berge, who provides a second-person narration as though it is being delivered to Saint Laurent himself.Pierre Niney takes on the role of the Algerian-born Saint Laurent, who we first meet at home in Oran on the Mediterranean coast. Whilst still in his teens, Saint Laurent finds himself working for Christian Dior, whose death in 1957 propelled Saint Laurent into the role of head designer at Dior's fashion house at just 21 years of age. Already encumbered by a social anxiety that he attributes to childhood bullying, Saint Laurent finds it difficult to cope with the aura of expectation that surrounds him. When he is drafted into the French military, Saint Laurent finds himself unable to cope, is confined to a psychiatric hospital and subjected to electroshock treatment. Sacked by Dior as a result, Saint Laurent establishes his own brand with the help of Berge (Guillaume Gallienne), a cash settlement secured from his former employer and the support of an American investor. From this point, Saint Laurent emerges as a superstar of the fashion world; each new collection met with adoring enthusiasm. However, whilst his professional profile explodes and he cements his reputation as one of the truly great designers, he sets out on a path of self-destruction; partaking in drugs, excessive alcohol consumption and infidelity in an effort to combat the depression, anxiety and insecurity that plague him.This is very much a film that examines the relationship between Saint Laurent and Berge, with the latter emerging as a stoic hero figure who stands by Saint Laurent throughout the tumult that was their personal and business relationship. If what we see is to be believed (and I have no reason to suggest we shouldn't), then Berge was a guardian angel for the troubled designer, serving as manager, constant companion, lover and lifesaver. It is hardly surprising therefore that the real life Berge has endorsed the film, which is based, in part, on his book Letters to Yves. Furthermore, Berge has praised the performances of both actors, telling Vogue magazine that he was "blown away by Pierre Niney's performance. It really disconcerted me. It even upset me, because it's very difficult. At times, I thought it was Yves Saint Laurent himself. That's huge." On Gallienne, Berge declared "I think he's an extraordinary actor." Of course, as a result of Berge's ties to the project, the filmmakers were granted access to Saint Laurent's original design studio and more than 70 of his vintage outfits and, it must be said, the clothes are stunning. Another key figure in Saint Laurent's life during his rise to fame was model Victoire Doutreleau (played by the stunning Charlotte Le Bon), who was one of Saint Laurent's few close friends until forced out of his life by Berge, who considered her a bad influence.Yes, the film is a celebration of Saint Laurent's creative genius, but it certainly doesn't shy away from the darker side of his personality. It is a reminder of the destructive nature of disorders such as depression and anxiety, even amongst those who seemingly have it all. The film looks elegant – sumptuous even – and the musical score draws upon classical, jazz, rock and opera at different times, to mostly good effect. Ultimately, Yves Saint Laurent is an engaging, if somewhat genteel, examination of the life (or part thereof at least) of a talented yet troubled individual. Lespert has crafted a film that explores the darker side of Saint Laurent's personality without diminishing his legacy as a fashion icon.
cinematic_aficionado
The young up and coming executive of a fashion house who became an industry icon himself.In this biopic, we are treated to a rather different angle of the legendary designer. We follow his early steps in the world of fashion and how his vision guided him and his unremittingly uncompromising personality made him a stand out. Like all 'celebrities' it was rather sad to see him fall into the alcohol and drugs trap but it was the love of someone else that kept him steady, possible saving from altogether destruction.Being so open about his homosexuality in such puritanical times was also refreshing to see.Overall, whilst it might not be a masterpiece of a movie, but still it has style, class and panache to make it a memorable experience even a fitting tribute to this great man of fashion.
