Saint Laurent

With so many films being released every year, it's always a challenge to have each one of them to be successful. And with a wide array of genres to choose from, it gives the viewer more options of what to see. But even then there's more pressure for a film to do well.

One genre that's frequently hit and miss is the biopic. Often a controversial one if the subject is still very much alive, it's hard for filmmakers to deliver if expectations are high. So where does Bertrand Bonello's Saint Laurent rank? To be honest, not very highly.

If you couldn't tell by the title, the film focuses on the life of French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent (played here by a fairly decent Gaspard Ulliel) from the years 1967 to 1976, the peak of his career. With a subject like him, it's hard to mess up, right? Well, Bonello managed to do that.

Fittingly, Saint Laurent is a film that has more style than substance. Many of the designs for the sets and costumes are stunning and deeply reminiscent of the era the film's set in. That said, that's the only good thing Bonello has going for him with this.

It's clear that Saint Laurent has a lot of ambitions behind it. Unfortunately many of those ambitions go unrealized due to the film's disoriented nature. Had it been more organized and about forty-five minutes shorter, then maybe better things could be said about it.

My Rating: ***