Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story
- Director: Tiffany Bartok
- Producer: Jayce Bartok; Bronwyn Cosgrave; Troy Surratt
CGiii Comment
Kevyn Aucoin died way back in 2002...it has taken years for his story to get to the big & small screens...and then, just like your long-awaited bus...two come along at the same time!
In the same year, Lori Kaye made Kevyn Aucoin Beauty & the Beast in Me and Tiffany Bartok has made this one: Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story. Just like the two 'Whitney' documentaries, each tell the same story from a slightly different perspective...and, with varying degrees of professionalism. What sets these two films apart is the proximity to the subject...Tiffany Bartok is a make-up artist-cum-filmmaker. Her appreciation for Kevyn's skill is obvious.
So...what sets Tiffany Bartok's film apart? Well, interviews with Cher and Isabella Rossellini help. But, it's Tori Amos who really grabs your attention...she talks a rare truth...it's so monumentally moving that a tear or two may escape from the corner of your eye.
Kevyn Aucoin died too young, he fought his demons too hard. He lived in constant pain, increasingly relying on painkillers...until his light slowly - at first - was extinguished.
This film is both atonement and praise...his artistry is beyond dispute, it's plain to see...on the covers of magazines. His friends...fairweather whatever weather...better late than never.
A fine tribute and an overdue obituary.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, Kevyn Aucoin was decidedly considered an unusual child. His room was filled with pictures of Streisand and his schooldays with beatings and torment. But Kevyn proved as resilient as he was rebellious. At 21, he went to New York City and simply walked into the offices of Vogue like he belonged there. Which he did. It was a time when the idea of a make-up artist in fashion was unknown. It was also a time of terror with the advent of AIDS. Kevyn’s astounding eye for color and fearlessly innovative spirit soon conquered the fashion world. LARGER THAN LIFE is as fascinating and flamboyant as its subject. It is an intimate scrapbook of Kevyn’s life, work, and very famous clients, including Cher, Tina Turner, and Whitney Houston. It is also the story of his lifelong struggle with Acromegaly (a growth hormone disorder) and the inner demons that conspired to cut his life short. Kevyn considered everyone beautiful. You will agree with him. —C.R.
Cast & Characters
Christy Turlington,
Brooke Shields,
Cher,
Isabella Rossellini,
Naomi Campbell,
Paulina Porizkova,
Kate Moss,
Linda Evangelista,
Cindy Crawford,
Tori Amos,
Isaac Mizrahi