Movie Review: Yves Saint Laurent (2014)
Written by Anthony Sargon
Biopics are very tricky to pull off. Their subjects are more than often larger-than-life personalities who’ve changed the course of history one way or the other, making it nearly impossible to condense their entire story for a two-hour flick. While Yves Saint Laurent definitely suffers from an overly-familiar structure, the film is bolstered by some truly incredible performances and dazzling visuals that will leave you mesmerized.
The story picks up in 1958, right when Yves Saint Laurent (Pierre Niney) was called upon to take over Christian Dior’s fashion house. The film then chronicles Yves’ rise to the top of the world of haute couture, as well as his relationship with Pierre Bergé (Guillaume Gallienne), his long-time lover and business partner. But what’s a biopic without having the protagonist spiral out of control? Expect to see plenty of that as drugs, booze, and success begin to change Yves.
For one, the film is gorgeous to behold. The art direction and cinematography are top notch, and it really looks and feels like a film worthy of the Yves Saint Laurent name. Director Jalil Lespert has truly crafted something that looks and sounds absolutely brilliant. The film’s costume design is also impeccable, and Madeline Fontaine deserves a lot of credit for re-creating some of YSL’s trademark pieces, and the production actually used original YSL pieces.
Yes, the film plays it rather safe and doesn’t reinvent the genre, but the performances make it significantly better than your average biopic. Pierre Niney is simply flawless as the shy, soft-spoken Yves. He also suffered from manic depression, and I thought that was explored pretty nicely. But don’t be fooled by the film’s title; this is as much Pierre Bergé’s story as it is Yves’, and Guillaume Gallienne delivers a powerhouse performance as the man who kept Yves in check. Their relationship is very much at the forefront of this story, and it’s extremely well fleshed out and realized.
The Verdict:
Yves Saint Laurent is easily one of the best biopics I’ve seen in recent years. Some people may find that it lacks some substance, but the impeccable performances and production values more than make up for it. This is great look into the life of a man who changed fashion forever, and I highly recommend it.
Numerical Score: 8/10
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