Alongside Valentino for 50 years has been his part-time lover and full-time business partner Giancarlo Giammetti, and it's he who turns out to be the secret hero of the film, the only man who can tame Valentino's massive ego and control his tantrums while making the business deals and keeping the moneymen out of Valentino's hair. 'What have you gotten out of choosing to live in another man's shadow,' a reporter asks Giammetti?' His answer: 'Happiness.'
'I love beauty. It's not my fault,' shrugs Valentino as he preps new lines of gowns for upcoming seasons while simultaneously overseeing the plans for an orgiastic three-day retrospective celebration of 45 years of his work, taking time off for skiing in Gstaad, and playing with his five pugs at his palatial French chateau. It's quite a life and totally fun to observe.
But even as the usual suspects -- Anna Wintour, Andre Leon Talley, Gwyneth Paltrow, and various European countesses -- buzz around and tell Valentino what a genius he is, just off to the side is the 40-year-old business executive whose family has actually owned the Valentino brand for 10 years and is tasked with keeping an eye on the bottom line. Just as the anniversary celebrations are taking shape, the family sells out to a team of private equity people and bankers, and the speculation begins: Will they push out the great Valentino in favor of fresh blood half his age? As the designer marches on trailing a cloud of sequins and tulle behind him, Giammetti is charged with worrying about the mess. 'Mamma mia,' he is fond of muttering as problem after problem crosses his desk.
The overall impression: Valentino is a nice guy to visit, but you wouldn't want to live with him. Like other celebrated geniuses, he is temperamental, childish, impulsive, and also surprisingly indecisive for someone with such a strong vision. Director Matt Tyrnauer's camera peeks in even at the most intimate moments, so much so that Valentino takes a couple of chances to rage at him, essentially telling him to get that camera out of his tanned face. Tyrnauer goes for a great close-up when Valentino is receiving the French Legion of Honor award and lets his guard down for once, tearfully thanking Giammetti for all he has done during a half-century-long relationship that is more enduring than most marriages. What a nice surprise to settle in for a fashion documentary and find a touching love story hidden within its glamorous folds.
The DVD includes three additional mini-documentaries.
And pose.
