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What:
Gainsbourg

When:
In cinemas from November 4

Watch Trailer:
Here

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Joann Sfar's biopic of French singer Serge Gainsbourg (Eric Elmosnino) draws its fairytale tone from its origins in Sfar's graphic novel. It looks like a Guillermo del Toro film - indeed, del Toro favourite Doug Jones co-stars as Gainsbourg's Tyler Durden-esque alter ego, La Gueule. It may leave non-Francophiles confused, but it's a refreshing antidote to stodgy, respectful biopics such as the recent Sagan.

Sfar suggests the adult Gainsbourg was moulded by his childhood as Lucien Ginsberg (Kacey Mottet Klein), son of Russian émigrés (hilarious comic performances from Razvan Vasilescu and Dinara Drukarova). This cocky little shit smokes durries in the woods, improbably seduces artist's models, and can't wait to get his yellow star during WWII.

Changing his name to Serge, he abandons his painting to write naughty songs and bone various hot famous chicks - chanteuse Juliette Gréco (Anna Mouglalis), Brigitte Bardot (Laetitia Casta), Bambou (Mylène Jampanoï) and, of course, Jane Birkin (Lucy Gordon). But his self-loathing is never far away... and neither is a bottle of liquor.

Visually captivating and often very funny, Gainsbourg loses steam towards the end, but its joyous irreverence is a fitting tribute to a French legend who basically didn't give a shit.