Pete Doherty Plays Lead In French Film.

Enfant Terrible of English music Pete Doherty or Peter Doherty as he prefers to be called, has just wrapped on his first film. Confessions of a Child of the Century see's Doherty take the lead as Octavian a 19th-century dandy from the book of the same name by Alfred de Musset. The story revolves around a love triangle in which Charlotte Gainsbourg will play one of the corners. Director Sylvie Verheyde who has a César to her name had initial reservations about casting Doherty but has been impressed with his performance.

"It went really well. I wasn't a fan before and of course I knew his reputation, but I laid down the rules and he kept them. He was on time every day, he didn't turn up with a hangover and he never missed a single shoot. In fact he was much more pleasant and less of a pain than many professional actors. He's cultivated, literary, sincere and has emotional depth."

She has stated that Doherty's reputation did get in the way of funding for the film, which is €25,000 short of its modest €3m budget. Doherty's not speaking French led to the film being shot in English which meant it received none of the generous grants France normally allocates to productions.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Photographs from the shoot show him looking every inch the wastrel dandy in top hat and dress coat. The feeling that he could be using a lot of himself to play the part  might not be a bad thing. Very few actors would be able to draw on a life of excess like he could, which is what the part demands. Also Doherty is now a cult hero in France with scenes of mass hysteria at his concerts and public appearances. The French see him as the troubled poet he wants to be and so they know people will see the film. In fact Charlotte Gainsbourg recently said he reminded her a bit of her father. In France that is a good thing.