Yves Saint Laurent (2014)

Director:

Jalil Lespert

Writers:

Jacques Fieschi (screenplay) (adaptation) (dialogue)
Marie-Pierre Huster (screenplay) (adaptation) (dialogue)
(more)

Release Date:

8 January 2014 (France)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

A look at the life of French designer Yves Saint Laurent from the beginning of his career in 1958 when he met his lover and business partner, Pierre Berge. |

Plot Keywords:

Nipples Visible Through Clothing | Algerian War | Morocco | Swimming Pool | Man In Swimsuit

Cast

Pierre Niney	...	Yves Saint Laurent (as Pierre Niney de la Comédie-Française)
Guillaume Gallienne	...	Pierre Bergé (as Guillaume Gallienne de la Comédie Française)
Charlotte Le Bon	...	Victoire Doutreleau
Laura Smet	...	Loulou de la Falaise
Marie de Villepin	...	Betty Catroux
Nikolai Kinski	...	Karl Lagerfeld
Ruben Alves	...	Fernando Sanchez
Astrid Whettnall	...	Yvonne de Peyerimhoff
Marianne Basler	...	Lucienne Saint Laurent
Adeline D'Hermy	...	Anne-Marie Munoz (as Adeline D'Hermy de la Comédie-Française)
Xavier Lafitte	...	Jacques de Bascher
Jean-Édouard Bodziak	...	Bernard Buffet
Alexandre Steiger	...	Jean-Pierre Debord
Michèle Garcia	...	Raymonde Zehnacker
Olivier Pajot	...	Charles
Anne Alvaro	...	Marie-Louise Bousquet
Patrice Thibaud	...	Christian Dior
Gérard Lartigau	...	M. Boussac
Laura Martin-Bassot	...	Brigitte
Joakim Latzko	...	Albert
Laurent Maria	...	José Maria
Arnaud Denis	...	L'avocat
Xavier Alcan	...	Financier Rothschild
Déborah Amsens	...	Ouvrière 1 Dior
Sophie Riffont	...	Ouvrière 2 Dior
Laura Giudice	...	Stagiaire Dior
Annick Christiaens	...	Journaliste 1 conférence Dior
Julie Bernard	...	Journaliste 2 conférence Dior
Benoît Giros	...	Maitre d'hôtel Prunier
Benoît Strulus	...	Journaliste 1 rue Dior
Xavier Hosten	...	Journaliste 3 rue Dior
Fabienne Chaudat	...	Dame Dior pas contente
Jeanne Dandoy	...	Journaliste Elle
Sandrine Blancke	...	Jouanrliste Marie-France
Nicolas Ronchi	...	Journaliste 1 boutique YSL
Stéphanie Doncker	...	Journaliste 2 boutique YSL
Julien Bruant	...	Type blonson de cuir
Christian Gasc	...	Baron de Rothschild
Céline Spang	...	Zizi Jeanmaire
Karine Belly	...	Amie 1 Lucienne
Christine Metz	...	Amie 2 Lucienne
Renée Bellocq	...	Amie 3 Lucienne
Abdelilah Nouili	...	Ouvrier Oran
Mohamed Amine Touil	...	Hamed jeune
Abdessemad El Meskini	...	Hamed vieux
Reda Zerouali	...	Youssef
Hadrien Bal	...	Thadée
Florence Eugene	...	Amie Betty (as Florence Eugène)
Kimly Henry	...	Michèle
Sacha Sieff	...	Jeanloup Sieff
Afif Baroudi	...	Membre de la bande
Aurore Delplace	...	Membre de la bande
Guy Cuevas	...	Membre de la bande
Gerhard Freidl	...	Membre de la bande
Anissa Von Busse	...	Membre de la bande
Marlene Rabinel	...	Membre de la bande (as Marlène Rabinel)
Solène Hebert	...	Membre de la bande
Francesca Ritrovato	...	Membre de la bande
Diariata Niang	...	Membre de la bande
Martial Châteauvieux	...	Figuration Fondation
Sophie Couret	...	Figuration Fondation
Lola Fournier	...	Figuration Fondation
Emeline Mougeot	...	Figuration Fondation
Moujik Iv	...	Figuration Fondation
Philippe Mugnier	...	Figuration Fondation
Mireille Prulhière	...	Figuration Fondation
Pascal Sitter	...	Figuration Fondation
Joséphine Théry	...	Figuration Fondation
Sandrine Tinturier	...	Figuration Fondation
Leslie Veyrat	...	Figuration Fondation
Pauline Vidal	...	Figuration Fondation
Catherine Zeitoun	...	Figuration Fondation
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ait ben Azzouz Brahim	...	Guest
Anthony Vuignier	...	Journalist
Janicke Askevold	...	Mannequin (uncredited)
Judi Beecher	...	Journaliste américaine (uncredited)
Rani Bheemuck	...	Mannequin défilé 1962 (uncredited)
Yvonne Gradelet	...	Invitée au défilé (uncredited)
Aline Nolasco	...	Mannequin défilé 1958 (uncredited)
Grégoire Thoby	...	Jeune journaliste (uncredited)

Directed by
Jalil Lespert

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Laurence Benaïm		book
Jacques Fieschi		screenplay (adaptation) (dialogue)
Jérémie Guez		collaborating writer
Marie-Pierre Huster		screenplay (adaptation) (dialogue)
Jalil Lespert		screenplay (adaptation) (dialogue)

Produced by
Yannick Bolloré	....	producer
Wassim Béji	....	executive producer
Wassim Béji	....	producer
Julien Deris	....	co-producer
Thierry Desmichelle	....	executive producer
Franck Elbase	....	co-producer
David Gauquie	....	co-producer (as David Gauquié)
Nicolas Lesage	....	co-producer
Etienne Mallet	....	co-producer
Adrian Politowski	....	co-producer
Lionel Uzan	....	executive producer
Gilles Waterkeyn	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Ibrahim Maalouf

Cinematography by
Thomas Hardmeier

Film Editing by
François Gédigier

Casting by
Nicolas Ronchi

Production Design by
Aline Bonetto

Set Decoration by
Monica Alberte
Hind Ghazali

Costume Design by
Madeline Fontaine

Makeup Department
Veronique Clochepin-Lassalle	....	additional makeup artist (as Véronique Clochepain)
Odile Fourquin	....	makeup artist
Leila Mauro	....	hair stylist
Michelle Van Brussel	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Gwenael Camuzard	....	unit manager
Jean-Marc Deschamps	....	production manager
Jalil Lamriki	....	assistant production manager
Anne-Claire Loridant	....	assistant production manager
Antoine Rabaté	....	post-production manager
Arzur Ronan	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tarik Ait Ben Ali	....	first assistant director
Céline Clézardin	....	third assistant director
Félicie Leguay	....	second assistant director
Eric Pujol	....	first assistant director

Art Department
François Borgeaud	....	property master
Julia Echevarria y Figueroa	....	assistant prop master
Echevarria y Figueroa Julia	....	assistant property master
Boëdec Cramesnil Maëla	....	second assistant art director
Yann Ricordeau	....	prop master

Sound Department
Ophélie Boully	....	sound assistant
Toni Di Rocco	....	sound mix technician
Séverin Engler	....	boom operator
Vincent Guillon	....	supervising sound editor
Hélène Lamy-Au-Rousseau	....	dialogue editor
Benjamin Lécuyer	....	sound mix technician
Fred Mays	....	post-synchronisation
Pierre Picq	....	boom operator
Miguel Rejas	....	sound recordist
Stéphane Thiébaut	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Emilien Breuillier	....	visual effects
Alain Carsoux	....	visual effects supervisor
Florian Chauvet	....	visual effects coordinator
Emilia Napame	....	digital compositor
Joel Pinto	....	visual effects supervisor
Pierre Procoudine-Gorsky	....	visual effects editor
Christian Tomikowski	....	digital compositor
Olivier Tournayre	....	digital compositor
Franklin Toussaint	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Frédéric Mompo	....	sport trainer: Pierre Niney (as Fred Mompo)

Camera and Electrical Department
Boris Abaza	....	additional focus puller
Eric Bonnaire	....	grip
Charles Carpentier	....	electrician
Agathe Corniquet	....	second assistant camera
Julien Cottret	....	grip
Lancelot Coujard	....	cine tool operator
Augustin De Vaumas	....	electrician
Anouchka de Williencourt	....	still photographer
Dominique Delguste	....	additional camera operator
Jean-Pierre Deschamps	....	key grip
Laetitia Duvert	....	additional electrician
Ada Détraz	....	video assist
Thibault Grabherr	....	still photographer
Laurent Héritier	....	gaffer
Valentina Iorio	....	grip
Naoufal Lamkealal	....	grip
Hervé Le Berrigaud	....	grip
Maud Lemaistre	....	first assistant camera
Alexandra Massetti	....	electrician
Jean-Marie Masson	....	electrician
Sophie Moulin	....	grip
Laurent Pouchard	....	grip
Olivier Rostan	....	additional first assistant camera

Casting Department
Mourad Barouche	....	casting manager
Marie-Sylvie Caillierez	....	extras casting
Stéphanie Doncker	....	casting assistant
Emrah Ertem	....	casting consultant: Germany
Yann Le Boucher	....	extras casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Isabelle Boiton	....	key costume dyer
Myriam Laraki	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Elie Akoka	....	colorist assistant
Adélaïde Basson	....	post-production coordinator
Clarisse Cornély	....	post-production assistant
Nicolas Criqui	....	assistant editor
Alissa Doubrovitskaïa	....	post-production assistant
Vanessa Eid Akoka	....	post-production coordinator
Gaëtan Hugnet	....	post-production assistant
Lionel Kopp	....	colorist
Elie Tisné	....	colorist assistant

Music Department
Hubert Cornet	....	music supervisor assistant
Jeff Genie	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Ange Amiel	....	crowd marshall
Thomas Averland	....	chief operating officer
Maéva Buisse	....	production coordinator
Isabelle d'Olce	....	assistant accountant
Rabii Elbakki	....	location manager: morocco
Agathe Grau	....	script supervisor
Marie Guillon	....	production accountant
Rip Hampton O'Neil	....	technical director
Marie Kerhoas	....	production coordinator
Kevin Koeniger	....	production & financing coordinator
Claire Lefevre	....	additional crowd marshall
Alexis Linval	....	additional crowd marshall
Martin Metz	....	associate producer
Damien Noguer	....	extras coordinator
François Pujol	....	location scout
Olivier Sagne	....	additional crowd marshall
Bastien Sirodot	....	associate producer

Production Companies

• Wy Productions (co-production)
• SND (co-production)
• Cinéfrance 1888 (co-production)
• Hérodiade (co-production)
• Umedia (co-production)
• uFund (in association with)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Orange Cinéma Séries (participation) (as OCS)
• Cofinova 10 (in association with)
• Indéfilms 2 (in association with)
• Procirep (support)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (support)

Distributors

• SND Groupe M6 (2014) (worldwide) (all media)
• AB Svensk Filmindustri (2014) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• AQS (2014) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• CatchPlay (2014) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Cinetel (2014) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2014) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One (2014) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One (2014) (UK) (theatrical)
• Feelgood Entertainment (2014) (Greece) (theatrical)
• ITI Cinema (2014) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Kadokawa (2014) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Lucky Red (2014) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Pathé Films (2014) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• SND (2014) (France) (theatrical)
• Square One Entertainment (2014) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Top Film Distribution (2014) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2014) (USA) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2014) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2014) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Entertainment One (2014) (UK) (DVD)
• M6 Vidéo (2014) (France) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2014) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2014) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Vértigo Films (2014) (Spain) (all media)
• Zon Audiovisuais (2014) (Portugal) (all media)

Other Companies

• B-MAC  post-production facilities
• Framepool  stock footage

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and drug use

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

France | Belgium

Language:

French | English | Russian | Arabic | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Ireland:15A | Japan:PG12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Switzerland:14 | UK:15 | USA:R

Company:

Wy Productions

Film Review: Yves Saint Laurent/ www.nightfilmreviews.com

Becoming a trend-setter in the fashion industry can be quite the challenge, but making a fashion movie with some cinematic and historical merit is the real challenge many have been willing to accept, and have failed miserably. Even though there are so many irreplaceable names within fashion with such interesting stories to tell (Dior, Arden, Versace, Ford, Varvatos, Gucci and Chanel to name a few), director Jalil Lespert chooses Yves Saint Laurent; one of the few fashion icons to have his pieces of high fashion and considerably iconic art pieces displayed in museums and prestigious art galleries around the world. Yet, with Yves Saint Laurent, we aren't quite sure if that is simply enough for a biopic of this stature.

Lacking any real panache and coming undone at the poorly constructed narrative seams, Yves Saint Laurent becomes a retro-fitted cinematic mess that, similar to many of Luarent's pieces, is more fun to look at than to wear, or in this case, follow narratively. Yves Saint Laurent depicts the tormented life of a genius, torn apart by the luxuries of high living and fame at too young an age. While Laurent could never possibly be taken away from being a visionary, his newest film by veteran French actor Jalil Lespert focuses more on its grainy, melancholic exterior than it does with coherently telling the story of one of the most revolutionary haute couture designers of the mid-1900's.

One of Lespert's greatest facilitators of telling Laurent's story is sex, and his story begins at the tender age of a twenty-one when Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent (Pierre Niney) was simply the assistant to Christian Dior. Lespert's film is a daunting task of understanding the ambiguity of silence and the mixed feelings of Laurent, who makes advances to his female friend and model Victoire Doutreleau (Charlotte Le Bon), yet exchanges undressing glares to his Algerian male gardener–this introduction of the film really throws audiences off. Thankfully, the slight glimmer of brilliance that is Lespert's film is understood fully once it is revealed that Laurent is a homosexual, and falls in love with Pierre Bergé (Guillaume Gallienne) in a seamlessly idyllic visit to a friend's Northern villa. Although Laurent's marriage to Bergé is never seen on film, rather, the tyrannical disputes of power within Laurent's fashion empire and the constant sexual espionage between the couple is used to replace some of the fluffy, real life moments between the couple, the real life Bergé applauded the film for being a rather authentic look of the life of he and his questionable true love. It's too bad Lespert's film is ruined with an annoying voice-over narration that reveals the film as B-grade cinema rather than stuffy, fine-French cinema couture.

Lespert is keen on making it clear that, Laurent had always led a privileged life, despite the horrors occurring in Oran, French Algeria (his birthplace) at the time of the late 1950's, and his family's move away from Algeria at the time and into France. Villa to villa, despite Laurent's apparent talent for fashion and designing, it shows just how much luck (good and bad), and being at the right place at the right time gave Laurent the opportunity to head the House of Dior, following Dior's sudden death at the age of fifty-two. But, the impact of the Algerian War of Independence doesn't stop there as it sucks Laurent back in when he is conscripted to join the French Army. Despite being the head of the House of Dior, Laurent enlists, only to be subjected to wide variety of medical tests that lead to illness, with tortuous means of remedy and an expulsion as Head Designer and a chance to head his own fashion house in the early 1960's, YSL.

One of Yves Saint Laurent's strengths as a film is showing the relationship between our self titled character and giving audiences a glimpse into the complicated life that he and his life partner, Bergé, really had. The heart of the film is seen between Niney and Gallienne, who give great insight on the chemistry between the great minds of such a powerful fashion brand and the inner workings of business geniuses, but a poorly matched couple. While watching the film, I couldn't help but notice how tasteful and well-constructed the scenes and relationship between Bergé and Laurent is highlighted, while earlier films this year, specifically the narratively crippled James Brown biopic Get On Up hardly gives justice to the complex inner workings of the business partnership and friendship between James Brown and notoriously anonymous Bobby Byrd.

I have to admit, up until the film introduces Laurent's muse Loulou de la Falaise, played by Laura Smet, I was confused, as I knew that Léa Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Color) strolled the red carpet in Cannes earlier this year for her role as the infamous muse. Once I was out of the theatre and was able to check my smart phone, it became clear that indeed, Seydoux did play de la Falaise, but not in this Laurent film. Saint Laurent, the other Yves Saint Laurent film made this year, who made its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, will surely be a daunting competition for this film, seeing as it was embraced and accepted into the highest class film festival, while this Laurent film may very well be the department store version of the Laurent story.