Review of Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life (2010) by Mikael K — 11 Apr 2012

I have to admit, I havenâ(TM)t really listened to any songs of Serge Gainsbourg, and knew nothing of him, so I didnâ(TM)t know what to expect. I thought it would also be a very basic biopic, very normalised. Instead, it created a world similar to the graphic novel it was based on, with a big giant walking head as an invisible character to Serge, as well as a Serge-esque character with long fingers and a huge nose, both characters tying into the mind frame of the character.

From what I know (granted not much), the actors got the style of their real life characters correctly, and each character felt rich and realistic, not an easy act to commit in such a film, so hats off to the actors themselves. The plot streamlines a lot of Gainsbourgâ(TM)s life but does it in a believable and workable way. The style of the film is almost dream-esque at times, but works really well, and despite it not being my type of film, Iâ(TM)d actually watch it again, which is a big compliment.