Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...
This disjointed film shows us a 21 year old nervous boy wonder Saint Laurent who gets appointed as the new head designer of France's biggest fashion house Dior. A couple of years later, conscripted to fight in the Algerian war, he suffers a mental breakdown after bullying about his sexuality. Enter Pierre Bergé – the businessman who became his boyfriend, bodyguard and business partner. The duo fall in love immediately. While Yves is the creative brain, Pierre handles almost everything else. They decide to open his own fashion house. But in mid 60s' the fashion icon has a nose dive into the drugs and sex scene. But he keeps rebuking as his designs keep creating a splash all over the world. The film keeps moving as the relationship between Yves and Pierre start getting affect day Yves liking for me, booze, drugs and a special other man. Saint Laurent battled coke addiction and depression, and it was Bergé who kept him from self-destructing. As a couple they split in 1976, but stayed close until Saint Laurent’s death in 2008.
The story of the genius could have been so fascinating, but it felt the males were really not sure what exactly they wanted to focus on. The story feels so disjointed and badly edited that you barely get time to connect with any character and really understand the complexity of any of their interpersonal relationship. After Saint Laurent and Berge’s breakup, the film comes to a rather abrupt stop, with the last 30 years of the designer’s life left largely unaddressed. There are many people who come sin YSL's life but not enough explanation is given to understand who some of these people were and why they were so influential. For someone like me, who just knows the brand but nothing beyond it, this would hav been such a great opportunity. Yes, visually the film is stunning and ti give actors the cure, th two leads do a very commendable job. But the film is emotionally shallow and if I can say, almost boring. But the film doesn’t dig very deep to reveal what inspired and drove him. The drugs? The men? The adulation? It shows us the emotional highs and lows and the self-destructive ways in which Saint Laurent sought balance and control. But the complex soul at the film’s center remains elusive. I think if a film was made purely on Yves and Pierre as a couple, that could hav been more interesting. For now, I think this film was a bit sort of a disappointment, especially given biographies on famous personalities like these are full of revelations and exciting stuff, both of which were sorely missing here; despite a very handsome lead actor and acting. (4/10)
Comments
Back when I watched it I remember reading people complaining on how they exagerated on the bad sides. Like one of their fuck friend (don't remember the name) that was not even close of the bad man they portrayed him to be.
I liked this one better than the other Saint Laurent movie that was released around the same time though.