Film Review: ‘L’amour Fou’ Explores Key Relationship in Fashion History

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CHICAGO – At the heart of Pierre Thoretton’s melancholy documentary is a story of lost love, lost art, and the ever-present aura they leave behind. Pierre Bergé is often credited as co-founder of the couture house headed by world famous designer Yves Saint Laurent. Yet “L’amour Fou” allows Bergé to set the record straight on just how large a role he played in Saint Laurent’s phenomenal success.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

Though this story is indeed a great one, this is not the first time a film has tackled it. In 2002, filmmaker David Teboul made two films about Saint Laurent. One focused more on his personal life, while the other provided a thorough overview of his trail-blazing fashions. Moviegoers seeking a well-rounded portrait of Saint Laurent should seek out Teboul’s work, since Thoretton’s film is somewhat limited by the perspective of Bergé, who repeatedly attempts to define a psyche that he may not have fully understood.

StarRead Matt Fagerholm’s full review of “L’amour Fou” in our reviews section.

Of course, there aren’t many viewpoints to counter the opinions of Bergé, who lived with the chronically depressed, increasingly reclusive designer for five decades. “L’amour Fou” intercuts photographs and rare archival footage of the couple (who were both lovers and business partners) with present-day sequences leading up to Bergé’s February 2009 auction following Saint Laurent’s death. As Bergé watches hundreds of priceless works from a variety of towering artists, both legendary and anonymous, being tossed into the hands of the highest bidder, Bergé has the expression of a man who’s watching his life being auctioned off before his eyes. His belief in the enduring nature of art, and his lack of a belief in the human soul, brings added poignance to this sale of his and Saint Laurent’s prized possessions. It’s as if Bergé is auctioning off his own limbs, purging himself of the past that he had maintained for so long. The couple allowed their artistic impulses to direct their purchases over the years, and the influence of various painters would find their way into Saint Laurent’s haute couture. One of the more memorable dresses included in the film was directly inspired by the work of Piet Mondrian.

‘L’amour Fou’ features Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Bergé, Betty Catroux, Loulou De La Falaise, Jack Lang and Catherine Deneuve. It was directed by Pierre Thoretton. It opened June 3 at the Music Box. It is not rated.

StarContinue reading for Matt Fagerholm’s full “L’amour Fou” review.

Yves Saint Laurent surveys his models in Pierre Thoretton’s L’amour Fou.
Yves Saint Laurent surveys his models in Pierre Thoretton’s L’amour Fou.
Photo credit: Sundance Selects

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