I picked this movie based on seeing it in coming attractions on another rental and wish I hadn't. The film is a biopic based on a book about the life of French singer/composer Serge Gainsbourg. The film opens with Serge as a young Jewish boy living in Paris who is forced to hide from the Nazis. Later he is a young painter playing the piano by night to pay the bills. He begins to focus on the music and rises to fame singing and writing controversal music.
I admit that I don't know much about Gainsbourg but I thought the film would be more about his music and even about his time hiding from Nazis but really the bulk of the film is about him chasing women and women being enchanted with his music. Apparently he was quite the ladies' man from the content of the film: Juliette Greco, Brigitte Bardot, and Jane Birkin among others fell to Gainsbourg's charms. The music and art are very much a small part of the film. This film is not rated but with all the women and love scenes expect some nudity.
When Gainsbourg is not chasing women (and sometimes when he is) there are many scenes when he talks to his "mug" or alter ego. This character is a man with what appears to be long thin fingers and a paper mache-looking head that features a long nose. The "mug" encourages many of Gainsbourg's decisions though sometimes there is a battle between them. It's certainly a creative move on the part of the director but at times such as the beginning of the film it comes across as a little odd.
Overall, I just didn't like this film. It was two long hours of Gainsbourg chasing women and women throwing themselves at him while the "mug" is lurking about. I really thought there'd be more music or something "heroic" since it's in the title. Also the film seems to really lose steam in the third act. I just didn't like this one at all - D-.
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