Cloclo

There are two films in CloClo; the first is a very disappointing biopic, flat and monotonous tale about a music freak, which never hesitates to state the obvious, and follows without an hint of originality the pattern of CloClo's life. Its scenario lacks of imagination and pictures a tyrannic Claude François, so full of himself, so ready to do anything to be famous , and killing metaphorically anyone who's got more success than him: such a detestable character.

The second film takes place very gradually in your mind while you're still angry at what you're watching; but, as you feel deep inside that this biopic is nothing but a major failure, you cannot avoid admiring Jérémie Rénier's flawless acting and impersonation , and later you get enthused by Siri's own virtuosity with the camera (the party in the Moulin), and gradually you begin to understand that you enjoy yourself, that you don't want it to stop, never, and that you're anticipating with growing horror the approaching and unavoidable scene of the fatal shower, which leaves you, the audience, and dozens of groupies (some sleeping in his hallway) in tears... And you remember now why you always liked CloClo, why his death in the late seventies represented the end of your own childhood; such an exceptional person...

I have to disagree with the other review. I'm not a fan of Claude François, I'm not a fan of the 70s, yet I loved the movie. And that's because of Jeremy Renier's amazing performance. He's extremely magnetic, doesn't show any of the French (slightly precious and fake-sounding to me) brand of acting. The film isn't perfect and the script, certainly, would've deserved some work. It's rather descriptive and chronological. Yet I enjoyed every 158 minutes of it and that's what matters. Renier is AMAZING, so is the production design by the way. I would definitely recommend it to people who don't care about Claude François. If only because he's the guy who wrote one of the most famous songs in the world, which most people would attribute to Sinatra: My Way.

Jeremie Rénier's performance is a true tour De force ;his portrayal of the late singer is nothing short of exceptional and compares favorably with that of Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf.

The problem is that,unlike Piaf ,François can't be seriously considered an artist with a genuine creativity to offer:80% of his songbook are covers :the Everly Bros,the early Beatles,the Angels,John Hartford,Barry McGuire (and Ryan) ,Jackie De Shannon,Tom Paxton,Pete Seger,the four Tops,the Temptations,the Bee Gees ,the Hollies,the Four Seasons ,Georgie Fame,Sonny Curtis and even English traditional ballads such as "Geordie",the list is endless :that's why the movie insists on "Comme D'Habitude" ,the singer's only international claim to fame :translated into English by Paul Anka as "my way",it was covered by Sinatra,Elvis and countless others ;to be honest,one should add that another Clo-Clo song "Parce Que Je T'Aime Mon Infant"was also covered by Elvis.There were more originals in the seventies ,although" Dix-Sept Ans" ,which is heard at the beginning ,is Janis Ian's 1975 smash hit "at seventeen" which remained unknown over here .

In the movie ,the singer appears as a selfish ,moody ,unsympathetic,jealous (don't they give the best American songs to Johnny?) character;his relationship with the other singers of the era is passed over in silence (just one hint at Hallyday and "Salut Les Copains " the magazine which was the ye-ye boys and girls bible ;only France GAll appears ,and only because she had a love affair with him circa 1965:the Eurovision Contest phone call is reportedly accurate ,but Gall said that she could not see any likeness between her and the "shrew " of the "Comme D'Habitude" song ,supposedly depicting their breakup .

If you were a boy in a sixties ,Clo-Clo is certainly a nice memory (the original American and English songs were mostly unknown here and in his way , Clo-Clo introduced us to them and I was a fan then );but as a adult,you might find this MOR music futile and forgettable .

But,I say it again:"hats off to Mr Rénier"

Warning, English is not my birth language

Different than La mome or Gainsbourg, Cloclo is a great piece of filmmaking, well crafted , extremely well acted by Jeremie Renier and the bigger than life performance of Benoit Magimel in a small but vital role of Paul Ledermann, the Claude Francois's agent. The different periods and steps in the singer's and business man careers are all interesting.

It's not a consensual movie, it's a movie of rage depicting a man of passion , rage and flaws.

The director florent emilio siri, well known for Hostage, is at his best. This movie deserves public success.

A must see !!

I saw My Way yesterday, and I really enjoyed this movie. I'm familiar with the music and the life story of Claude Francois, and I think this helps to appreciate the movie more.

I believe the movie really captivates the spirit of the time, with lots of details, and the right filters. Sometimes original clips are mixed with new scenes, it's hard to tell the difference at times. What a vibrant place must have been France in the 60s and the 70s.

Jeremy Renier as lead actor is a great choice. He acts and sings spot-on, with all the mannerisms that Claude had. His mother also is beautifully portrayed.

The music is an essential part of the film, obviously. These songs are classics in Belgium. Always great to hear them again.

The movie tells his full life story, and it is not a classic 'rise to fame and fall' biopic. Because Claude was still extremely popular when he died. What I learned in the movie that I didn't know is that Claude Francois was quite obsessive, about basically everything. I knew he had a difficult relationship with his dad but I didn't know it was that bad. I do think he needed the applause and the attention of the public, more than anything else. Maybe to fill a void which was always there?

Great movie, definitely worth the watch.