GAINSBOURG (Vie heroique)

Whilst I'm waiting for my next classic film to arrive in the mail, I'm gonna keep ya posted on the in between films i may have seen about town......I know this blog is dedicated specifically to working my way through the Top 100 filmlist, but rules are boring anyway.

So, a bunch of us went to go see Gainsbourg the other night at Baker St cinema, if you don't live in London, it should be known that Screen on the Green theaters are the most super dooper of them all. There are a few of them about town, they are small, unique, artsy dives where you can see the newest and oldest art-house/independent gems, grab a chilled glass of rose and kick back.

Tonight's film was Gainsbourg. Please keep in mind I have been DYING to see this film forever, it's a bio epic on one of Frances most respected and misunderstood legends, Serge Gainsbourg. I grew up loving his music, loving his style and of course that of his many muses and just, well, he is so undeniably, positively, beautifully French.

There are hundreds of reviews for this film currently out there and growing by the minute....some are praising the life out of it, some mystified by its success.

I sit on the fence.

I'm still trying to work out what it was about the film that didn't quite resonate with me the way I dreamed it would. I mean how could this be anything less than the immaculate visual and emotional inspiration for a girl like me?? Truth was, as my friend's put it, it was all about the first half.
There was a beautiful portrait painted of Serge's early life, which consumes a mere half the film, we develop along with him, through the war years, his artistic fumblings, first loves and so on.
And then we have the second half, BAM, POW, WHIZZ (as Bardot so seductively purrs at one point) we have the second half!
Qu'est-ce que c'est!?

A speedy and clumsy escapade through the trials and tribulations which spans the rest of his challenged existence. The problem is, well, he becomes an asshole. We stop to develop sympathy or remorse for anything he does or any outcome he is responsible for. And no, it's not true that we are unable to develop sympathy or admiration for the wildly uncompassionate protagonist...we do it all the time in films, often empathizing with the villain. That's the beauty of great cinema. Sadly though, we leave the film a little trodden instead, defeated perhaps?
We suffered through this momentous journey with one of music's greatest pop chameleons.....and what do we get for it?
A sudden ending and not much to hold dear to our hearts, but, like i say, for the first 30 mins or so of beautiful film making, which I suppose is more than most films today can claim to possess.
Pfff...c'est la vie ay!