Gainsbourg

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Gainsbourg

2011

2h 10m

Biography

Drama

Music

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Popcornmeter

73%

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82 Reviews

68%

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10,000+ Ratings

The life of French singer Serge Gainsbourg.

Critics Consensus

It might be thinly written and messily made, but Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life is also appropriately glamorous and intense -- and powerfully led by a gripping performance from Erik Elmosnino.

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Ginette Vincendeau

Sight & Sound

06/18/2012

In conjoining Jewish heritage and classic French chanson, Gainsbourg celebrates the hybridity of contemporary French culture, while its combination of realist narrative and poetic animation make it both a touching biopic and an inspired musical.

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Joe Williams

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

12/09/2011

3/4

It's a comic-strip version of one man's life and times, but it's tres cool.

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Trevor Johnston

Time Out

11/16/2011

3/5

While the movie's on a roll, it's zesty, engaging and frisky.

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Andrea Hubert

NME (New Musical Express)

05/19/2021

4/5

Gainsbourg is often just the right side of uncomfortably intimate, but that's what makes it such a magnetic film.

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Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Examiner

01/05/2019

2.5/4

It's as surprising and unconventional as the man himself -- but that doesn't mean it serves him well.

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Kaleem Aftab

The List

11/06/2018

4/5

Great songs, beautiful girls, lovely costumes and an artist in a constant state of flux are emphasised in Joann Sfar's imaginative, beautiful and suitably bizarre musing on the life of Serge Gainsbourg.

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Anderson O

@Platinum2027 10/23/2023

Erik puts on a Masterclass performance as Serge Gainbourgs in this comicbook adaptation based on his life story. Pretty bold and in your face, a different type of biography. Messy at times, but gets goals accomplished very well. Delves deep into the psychology of what genius intellectuals see around them and how their imaginations run.

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10/27/2020

Most informative to those who do not know Gainsbourg well; strong performances by the leads and support

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05/17/2020

For a film that's supposed to be mostly about music, the rhythm and editing are particularly bad, 95% of the songs will start and after 25 seconds or so they end abruptly. Visually interesting but ultimately this is a film about nothing, and this is coming from someone who loves Gainsbourg's music. However; Éric Elmosnino as the title character and Doug Jones as 'La Gueule' (Gainsbourg's mug) are both superb!

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11/23/2017

A must see! 30 years of the most creative French artist of this part of history

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06/01/2015

I LOVE Gainsbourg and bought many of his CDs in vinyl in my youth. However, this movie makes me hate him. So disappointed to see him like this. Gross.

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04/10/2015

60s paris in a poetic & surrealistic way.

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Joann Sfar

Director

Eric Elmosnino

Serge Gainsbourg

Lucy Gordon

Jane Birkin

Laetitia Casta

Brigitte Bardot

Doug Jones

La Gueule

Anna Mouglalis

Juliette Gréco

Critics Consensus: The Debt is Certified Fresh

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Synopsis

The life of French singer Serge Gainsbourg.

Director: Joann Sfar
Producer: Marc du Pontavice, Didier Lupfer
Screenwriter: Joann Sfar
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Xilam Animation, One World Films, Studio 37, Focus Features International, France 2 Cinéma, Lilou Films
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 31, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $230.3K
Runtime: 2h 10m

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