Diane Kury’s portrayal of the famous, prolific playwright, novelist and screenwriter Francoise Sagan covers the span of half a century. Sagan became the icon of a generation when she shot to fame with her first novel Bonjour Tristesse (Hello Sadness) – which was regarded as ‘a little gem of perversity.’ The novel reached a universal film audience when it was adapted for the screen by Otto Preminger, in 1958.
Kurys never met Sagan but always felt as if she had. Her legacy was recorded in photos and articles written about her. Kurys set out to portray Sagan as, ‘the real her, trying to get as close as possible’. This meant showing the many sides of this enigmatic woman who was fascinating and generous and once described as ‘a charming little monster’ by Francois Mauriac, the French novelist and playwright.
Sagan was a very complex character, who lived her life to excess and it was this love of everything which led her on a path of self destruction. She bought a mansion near Honfleur with the proceeds of her winnings at the roulette table. She indulged in drugs and shared her life with her friends and lovers of both genders, in a manner which was regarded as being totally free-spirited. She was a modern kind of gal.
Sylvie Testud’s portrayal of Sagan is perfect. She exhibits both the dominant and frail nature of her character from the tender age of 18, through to when she died of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 69, in 2004. Sagan had what can only be described as a checkered career. She was arrested for drug use and tax fraud in the same week. She was a known gambler, drinker and chain-smoker who was addicted to morphine. She was incapable of forming a loving relationship with her only child, a son, Denis Westhoff (Alexis Michaik) whom she once told quite blankly that their relationship was ‘never going to work out.’ This sense of defeat carried through most of her relationships, although she was known to maintain a few close companions who survived the test of time.
Testud captures Sagan’s quirky mannerisms. She constantly rubs her brow, flicking the bangs out of her eyes. This was done in an attempt to distract herself from making eye contact with others, thus enabling her to remain totally self-absorbed. Sagan was known to exude a crazy energy which always created something to happen, even though she did not consciously provoke it.
This is a long bio-pic lasting for two hours. There are moments when the excesses are almost overwhelming as Sagan reels from one addiction to another. However, Kurys succeeds in portraying the icon in a manner which draws some parallels with today’s celebrities. Let’s face it, celebrities indulge in the same excesses today, the only difference is that Sagan did it with a sense of style. As Kurys said, ‘Sagan proved that you can be rock n’ roll and elegant.’
// SALT
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