Yves Saint Laurent – The Movie

This year started with the release of a very anticipated movie on one of the greatest designer of all time, Yves Saint Laurent! No need to tell you how much I was looking forward to see this movie since I learned it’s production.

First of all let me tell you that the actors were just amazing, especially Pierre Niney who not only managed to capture the essence of Yves but revived him though his voice and the way he articulated his words! If you ever heard the real Yves speak, you would be bluffed as well. As for Guillaume Gallienne who played Pierre Berger his acting game was very powerful and yet emotional. He succeed in communicating us the magnitude of Pierre’s love for Yves.

Now the story… The people with a slight interest in fashion wouldn’t learn anything new from the film as it covers all the main aspects of Yves life without going too much in details. His childhood in Algeria, his debut at Dior, his meteoric rise to the fame following the death of Christian Dior and the birth of his Couture house known for , but not only, the Mondrian dress, the man’s suit and his African inspirations.

Owning a few books on the man, I also knew about his drug and sex addiction and about his borderline personality. The director, Jalil Lespert, flew over those facts, in my opinion, in a very superficial manor. However, what I knew less about was his relationship with his friend, lover, soul mate and “sponsor” Pierre Berger. This relationship was supposedly the guide wire of the movie, but then again without going too much in details.

Although the beginning of the movie was quite interesting, following a young Yves in his debut, I felt like each scene was incomplete and this feeling accentuated all the way through the end. I wanted to see more, to feel more and to know more… I felt as all the books I read on Yves gave me more emotions that this movie would ever do.

Nonetheless, like I said at the beginning, the choice of actors was just wonderful and as not every director is able to direct actors as well as Jalil did, I have to admit that in the end, he did a good jobs especially as it is only his fourth movie.

By the way, did you know that Jalil Lespert was the actual husband of french model and ex Miss France Sonia Rolland?

Here is an interview of  Pierre Niney on the YSL, which I really like as he looks completely different from his character in the movie, just listen to him and you will see… Isn’t he charming?

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