Review of Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life (2010) by Sherry L — 03 Jan 2011

Gainsbourg is my hero, and have always been.

I enjoyed the first hundred minutes immensely. It was very playful, yet artistic and I just wished the movie could go on forever by then.

Personally I would have given it 100% without any doubt, if only they had cut off the last 30 minutes and focused more on the 1960s era (his best album Histoire de Melody Nelson was barely mentioned!). I understand that the film makers wanted to show his whole life, but in that case I think they should have made it more lucid (specially his last period of his life). Because people who don't know anything about Gainsbourg will probably just shake their heads and think; what a weirdo, after seeing this. Since the poor guy was so washed out after divorcing Jane Birkin, messing around in Jamaica (and not to mention the infamous interview with Witney Houston). I don't think that time of his life should represent his persona in a movie like this, because it doesn't do justice to his amazing work or character.

I love the surrealistic essences with his "alter ego", and am really impressed how well Eric Elmonsino manages to imitate all the gestures, and talk just the way Gainsbourg talked, so it didn't bother me much that he didn't look exactly the same as Serge.

I found it I little bit strange, though, that Jane was speaking french so well and had such a cocky attitude in the movie.

I mean, she was british and had just arrived to France so despite that she was really good learning new languages I doubt that she spoke fluently french her first week there.

She has told in various documentaries how insecure she was going to France, not knowing much french, so I don't see why they chose to portrait Jane so confident the first meeting she had with Serge.

They were married for many years, Serge and Jane, so I don't see why there weren't more focus on that either.

But all in all I really liked this movie and think Gainsbourg-conneseurs should see it despite it's many flaws.