The 4-part mini-series Félix Leclerc*, was met with a complicated critical and public response and ignited passions all the way to a lawsuit upon its release in 2005, but over the years it has attained a surprising longevity of a fan cult classic due to the participation of enormously popular Daniel Lavoie**, who seems to be having the last laugh in this story.
The film directed by Claude Fournier for Radio Canada is based on the life of Félix Leclerc (1914-1988), one of Québec's greatest sons, who, in the words of Marie-Thérèse Lefebvre, is “considered to be the preeminent singer of the Quebec identity” (qualifié… de premier chantre de l’identité Québécoise)***.
We follow the biography of Leclerc, the great francophone Canadian singer/songwriter (played by Lavoie, himself a francophone Canadian singer/songwriter) from humble beginnings when he was discovered in his 30-s by a French impresario Jacques Canetti (Marc Berman) to his triumphant career in France and in his native Québec and eventually, retirement. The film focuses on Félix's singing career (leaving his literary and theater work mostly aside) against the backdrop of Québec's independence movement to which Félix was strongly committed. The film also closely inspects Félix's complicated private life and his late romance and marriage to Gaëtane Morin (excellent Catherine Sénart).
Much of the acting in Félix Leclerc is top quality and despite a frequently quirky script the film is quite entertaining. Many viewers will appreciate the filming locations in France and Québec (especially the beautiful landscapes in Félix’s beloved Île d'Orléans).
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*This text is based on a 10-year old review written for IMDb, with quite a few 2020 revisions.
** The singer also released an album of 30 songs by Leclerc recorded for this film: Moi Mon Felix, GSI Musique, 2007.
***Félix Leclerc : Héritage et perspectives, Éditions du Septentrion, 2019, p. 10).
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