After 10 years without hearing from Stanley Tucci, the Italian born director of the successful 1996 movie, THe Big Night. He returns with a unique classic soothing directing style that might just change everything. The Final Portrait already got itself nominated for British Independent Film Award for Best Production Design, the year is still starting, i have no doubt that this movie could turn out to be one of the best this year.
Set in Paris in the year 1964, Alberto Giacometti (George Rush), the famous artist begs James Lord (Armie Hammer), his American friend who is a writer, to sit for a portrait. It will only last for 2-3 hours, he tells James. Honoured by the offer, (i mean who wouldn't want to have a portrait drawn by a famous artist) James sat for the portrait, just as they began, in the old rusty and scattered studio of the famous artist, hours turns into days and turns into weeks and we see the world of Alberto through the eyes of James.
Tucci reveals how the world's most beautiful artworks in exhibitions galleries could be done in a dirty places by crazy people, how imperfections and so many errors could result to something beautiful and perfect. Unlike other Biography movies where the directors will like to compress the whole life story of the protagonist into a 2hr long boring movie, however Tucci adopts a different style. He took an aspect of Alberto's life, that is one of his final works before he retired and showed us his entire life, like what he's like in the studio, his marriage, his affairs, everything in just 91 minutes. James Merifield also did a great job in the production design, the set design, the music just made the movie beautiful.. But all these could not be achievable without the outstanding performances from the casts, every character was given an opportunity to shine in their performances.
Have you ever wanted to be a tree?
We can never get enough of the weird questions and things that goes through the mind of this chain smoking genius. Alberto is an interesting character played by George Rush, i have never seen Rush's movies but i think he's a genius with The Final Portrait. His facial expressions, revealing Alberto's joy and pain in an interesting manner. Alberto is a genius, you will be shocked at the type of things that goes through his mind. He always doubts his own ability and yet gets more successful every year. He is a perfectionist and can undo his work over 100 times just to get that perfection and yet he claims he never finished any of his works that sold for millions of cash. He has an open affair with a prostitute, his primary model that drives him crazy. Rush's performance as Alberto was indeed fascinating.
It's like he's determined to remain completely unsatisfied
James Lord often wondered about the weirdness of Alberto. James was played by Armie Hammer, the Call Me By Your Name star, and delivers his performance with style. James is an American good looking detailed young man. His outfit is always classy, with a well cut hair and never losing his composure. He treats Alberto with respect, and even when the portrait took longer than it should, with Alberto being unbearable, he was composed. We never got to know much about him, like the person he always talk to at the other end of the phone. Hammer's performance was impeccable as usual, though his James was in a hurry to go back to New York, i wanted him to stay, so that the two men will keep entertaining me.
The supporting actors were interesting to. Annette (Sylvie Testud), Alberto's wife was also interesting. She was a neglected wife that watched her husband show another woman affection and love. She only a wanted a home with her husband but he wanted none of it. Though she had a lover of her own, which her husband was okay with, she yearned for her husband's love.
source
Caroline, Alberto's prostitute, played by Clemence Poesy,is a loud woman. Alberto was so attached and crazy about her, even if she was there tro siphon his money away, he didn't care, he was willing to spend any amount on her. Poesy performance was great to, she lighted up the movie with her wits.
source
Though we didn't see much of Tony Shalhoub, he played the character of Diego, Alberto's brother. these supporting casts was great in their various performances. THE FINAL PORTRAIT might just be one of the best movies of 2018.
Have you watched The Final Portrait? Tell me what you think.. Don't forget to Upvote to.
It's the one and only
