A bio film about the celebrated French designer Yves Saint Laurent aired today at the Cannes Film Festival, and boasts a darker more revealing side to the famed designer.

Saint Laurent, who passed away in 2008 from brain cancer, is regarded as once of the most influential designers in fashion history. Credited with introducing the tuxedo suit for women and for his use of non-white models, the film centers around much of the designer’s personal life.

In the film, Saint Laurent is depicted indulging in drugs, excessive sex, and cruelty to women. The film has received public disapproval from Saint Laurent’s business/romantic partner Pierre Berge and was banned from using any of the fashion designers clothing brand in the film.

The films director Bertrand Bonello has stated that he didn’t want to focus on Yves Saint Laurent’s rise to fashion notoriety. Instead, Bonello attempted to show “what it costs him to be Saint Laurent… having to deliver four collections a year, being a star”

The film, which was selected as one of the 18 films to compete for the Palme d’Or  prize of the Film Festival,  received lack luster reviews.  Variety Magazine critiqued, ”While seductively silly and largely unmoving, does a better job than its predecessor of celebrating Saint Laurent’s flamboyant artistry”

Although critics remained unimpressed, the film has been described as better than it’s predecessor “Yves Saint Laurent” directed by Jalil Lespert.

The film is set to be released on October 1st.