By Staci Layne Wilson
@StaciWilson

While Saint Laurent hits the usual biopics beats – young, idealistic talent gets his big break, spirals into a downward spin fueled by life in the fast lane, dies old and alone – there’s little music or melody between those beats. Saint Laurent is a life flashed in highlights and lowlights, with no substance or insight of any kind on the man’s mind and soul.

Here’s the skinny: In 1958, 21-year-old head couturier Yves Saint Laurent (Pierre Niney) was promoted to oversee the iconic Paris fashion enterprise established by the recently-deceased Christian Dior. From the moment he presented his first clothing collection for The House of Dior, the bespectacled upstart ascended to the heights of haute couture elite. A few short years later he left Dior and, with his patron, partner and lover, Pierre Bergé (Guillaume Gallienne), he founded the Yves Saint Laurent Company. YSL would ultimately and easily become one of the principal luxury powerhouses on the planet.

Yves was blessed; according to writer-director Jalil Lespert’s account, the stylish stud didn’t have to struggle for a single thing. The best in life came to Yves on silver platters, even as he spent millions of dollars on jewel-encrusted baubles, designer drugs, and sinful sexual shenanigans, wrapped in a cocoon of wealth and celebrity.

While the actor playing Yves is, thankfully, magnetic and likeable, the character upon which he is based has all the substance of a chiffon skirt. The man’s business acumen, his genius for branding and fashion forwardness, his innate allure and ability to keep friends in his life, is a complete cypher even as the end credits come up. The filmmakers make him, and their movie, beautiful but empty. I learned little to nothing about Yves the man, YSL the brand, the zeitgeist, or the fashion industry.

Saint Laurent is a pretty, lovely spectacle, though – we see lots of beautiful people modeling his clothes, pop art from the time (Warhol painted him; he collected cameos), amazing architecture, and the soundtrack – ranging from The Velvet Underground to Maria Callas – is stunning. Think of it as an opulent, nearly two-hour, music video.

Rated R

105 minutes

Find times and tickets at Fandango.com

SAINT LAURENT Review

 SAINT LAURENT Review