Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Gainsbourg

Play trailer Poster for Gainsbourg 2011 2h 10m Biography Drama Music Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
73% Tomatometer 82 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
The life of French singer Serge Gainsbourg.

Where to Watch

Gainsbourg

Gainsbourg

What to Know

Critics Consensus

It might be thinly written and messily made, but Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life is also appropriately glamorous and intense -- and powerfully led by a gripping performance from Erik Elmosnino.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Ginette Vincendeau Sight & Sound 06/18/2012
In conjoining Jewish heritage and classic French chanson, Gainsbourg celebrates the hybridity of contemporary French culture, while its combination of realist narrative and poetic animation make it both a touching biopic and an inspired musical. Go to Full Review
Joe Williams St. Louis Post-Dispatch 12/09/2011
3/4
It's a comic-strip version of one man's life and times, but it's tres cool. Go to Full Review
Trevor Johnston Time Out 11/16/2011
3/5
While the movie's on a roll, it's zesty, engaging and frisky. Go to Full Review
Andrea Hubert NME (New Musical Express) 05/19/2021
4/5
Gainsbourg is often just the right side of uncomfortably intimate, but that's what makes it such a magnetic film. Go to Full Review
Kelly Jane Torrance Washington Examiner 01/05/2019
2.5/4
It's as surprising and unconventional as the man himself -- but that doesn't mean it serves him well. Go to Full Review
Kaleem Aftab The List 11/06/2018
4/5
Great songs, beautiful girls, lovely costumes and an artist in a constant state of flux are emphasised in Joann Sfar's imaginative, beautiful and suitably bizarre musing on the life of Serge Gainsbourg. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Anderson O @Platinum2027 10/23/2023 Erik puts on a Masterclass performance as Serge Gainbourgs in this comicbook adaptation based on his life story. Pretty bold and in your face, a different type of biography. Messy at times, but gets goals accomplished very well. Delves deep into the psychology of what genius intellectuals see around them and how their imaginations run. See more 10/27/2020 Most informative to those who do not know Gainsbourg well; strong performances by the leads and support See more 05/17/2020 For a film that's supposed to be mostly about music, the rhythm and editing are particularly bad, 95% of the songs will start and after 25 seconds or so they end abruptly. Visually interesting but ultimately this is a film about nothing, and this is coming from someone who loves Gainsbourg's music. However; Éric Elmosnino as the title character and Doug Jones as 'La Gueule' (Gainsbourg's mug) are both superb! See more 11/23/2017 A must see! 30 years of the most creative French artist of this part of history See more 06/01/2015 I LOVE Gainsbourg and bought many of his CDs in vinyl in my youth. However, this movie makes me hate him. So disappointed to see him like this. Gross. See more 04/10/2015 60s paris in a poetic & surrealistic way. See more Read all reviews
Gainsbourg

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Movie Info

Synopsis The life of French singer Serge Gainsbourg.
Director
Joann Sfar
Producer
Marc du Pontavice, Didier Lupfer
Screenwriter
Joann Sfar
Distributor
Music Box Films
Production Co
Xilam Animation, One World Films, Studio 37, Focus Features International, France 2 Cinéma, Lilou Films
Genre
Biography, Drama, Music
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 31, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 2, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$230.3K
Runtime
2h 10m
Most Popular at Home Now