Movie - Gainsbourg

I remember last summer been full of movies to watch, blockbuster or otherwise. This year, they are mightily thin on the ground. Perhaps all the reports I keep hearing from America are true and this is the worst year ever for movies.This movie would have been on the ‘maybe’ list if the other choices were not Toy Story, Shrek or A Team or the dreaded chick-flick. Plus it’s the second French film in a matter of weeks but see it I did.It’s the story of Serge Gainsborg (real name Lucien) of ‘Je T’aime’ fame. Not being up on popular film culture, celebrity culture or indeed the 1960s I did not know the writer of this controversial track was also ‘France's most notorious star - musician, womaniser and all-round maverick’ but that didn’t stop my enjoyment of the film.I discover that he had an illicit affair with Bridget Bardot and that’s who the famous Je T’aime was written for but was then ultimately recorded with his next girlfriend, actress, Jane Birkin.In fact for the first hour or so, the movie moves along nicely is quirky and original, not at all the whimsical or worse, gratuitous romantic tale it could have been. For the best part, the humour comes from an imaginary character which I thought could have been an invisible friend that stayed with Gainsbourg through adulthood but it turned out to be his grotesque alter ego.It’s about 30 minutes too long at 135 minutes but other than that, pretty fine.7/10Smile factor 8/10[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmJ7fkX_sH0&hl=en_GB&fs=1]Je T’aime[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHiMDB19Dyc&hl=en_GB&fs=1]