Yves Saint Laurent: L鈥橝mour Fou
Pierre Thoretton
Optimum
YSL is a masterpiece of a brand and Thoretton鈥檚 touching portrait is a beautiful portrayal of the man behind the fashion. Whilst other documentaries have focused on the career of the extravagant couturier (Saint Laurent invented the legendary smoking suit, the sheer blouse and the jumpsuit) Thoretton takes an intimate look at the relationship between Saint Laurent and Pierre Berg茅.
After his death in 2008, Berg茅 decided to sell the couple鈥檚 beloved art collection, which included works by Picasso, Matisse and a fantastic Brancusi and sold at Christie鈥檚 in 2009 for $483.8 million. Taking the sale as its starting point, L鈥橝mour Fou follows Berg茅 as he prepares to part with the collection that became a symbol of their relationship.
There are moments of sheer delight from the designer鈥檚 muse Betty Catroux and it鈥檚 hard not to be absorbed by the voyeuristic glimpses into such a luxurious life. The true value of this delicately poised and considered documentary, is however, in its honest portrayal of a creative genius whose exquisite collections never betrayed the psychological fragility that lay beneath.
Bethany Rex