"He can do everything, but…" : Chiara Mastroianni reveals with humor the only fault of her ex, Benjamin Biolay

Talented but unbearable, archetype of the arrogant and provocative bobo, this is the dirty reputation that sticks to Benjamin Biolay’s skin. But it is far from the noise and the world that the singer reveals himself best. In this modest documentary called Benjamin Biolay, originally, we find him surrounded by his friends, his collaborators and above all his scores and his texts, in the privacy of his studio or on stage. From his brilliant but discreet musical beginnings to his elevation to the rank of emblem of French song, we try to unravel the secrets of the artist and the man this Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 10:40 p.m., on France 5. Almost as illustrious than the other icon with the initials BB

Benjamin Biolay, originally : the portrait of a passionate artist

Benjamin is not a child of the ball; his family is in the knife. But the penniless branch of Opinel from which it comes is very music-loving. Introverted, the boy is an excellent musician who was bored in Villefranche-sur-Saône: at 15, he left home to taste life in Lyon. He entered the conservatory and graduated with first prize in trombone, but an orchestral career meant nothing to him. His thing is singing: he learns with Hubert Mounier, from the group L’Affaire Louis’ Trio. Other great encounters will follow, like Henri Salvador, for whom he co-writes Winter Gardenand Alain Souchon, who offered him his first tour dates in 2002 and who continues to praise “his sophisticated texts” and his “dark but bright side”. And it pleases: Biolay works for everyone, from Juliette Gréco to Dick Rivers, from Elsa to Isabelle Boulay.

Benjamin Biolay: what those close to him think of him and his career

Author, performer, composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist… He can do everything and he does everything. However, after some mixed success, he was pushed out by his record company in 2009. No luck: that same year he was released The superb, his undisputed masterpiece, and it is the consecration. He owes this success to his hard work and that is what this documentary tells us, which above all traces the musical journey of a passionate man, not free from his rock’n’roll image. No matter: those close to him know the real Benjamin Biolay. The others, too bad. With accuracy and restraint, we enjoy hearing his sister Coralie, his admirers Bernard Lavilliers and Clara Luciani tell the story of a rebellious artist, faithful and passionately in love with his art. “He can do everything. But he doesn’t know how to drive!” jokes his ex-wife Chiara Mastroianni. “I have lots of music in me”confesses the person concerned, visibly not about to stop.