This documentary, chronicling two years leading up to his spectacular 45th anniversary gala in 2007 by the Colosseum in Rome, is as much about the brand and harsh realities of the fashion biz as the man himself.
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04/16/09
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Valentino: the Last Emperor (2009)
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Reviews Counted:60
Fresh:47
Rotten:13
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: Valentino: the Last Emperor utilizes its access to the fashion icon to the fullest, and the result is a glitzy, dishy, and insightful documentary.
Theatrical Release:Mar 18, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $1,569,618
Synopsis: Shown around the world in film festivals to wide acclaim, VALENTINO THE LAST EMPEROR is a feature film that has captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences. It is a behind-the-scenes look at... [More]
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Reviews for Valentino: the Last Emperor
Top CriticThere's only one monarch mentioned in the title of Valentino: The Last Emperor. But Matt Tyrnauer's breezy and entertaining look inside the world of high fashion is very much a two-man show.
07/10/09
Top CriticTyrnauer's [film] extols Valentino's extreme lavishness as a kind of honorable, defiant stance (sneaking away to Gstaad as investment bankers take over his company), but demurs from searching for its subject's gravitas.
03/17/09
Top CriticTyrnauer succeeds in making a documentary in which man and his creations are one and the same. Yes, Valentino lives in opulence, but his gowns exist in that stratosphere too.
03/06/09
The film feels as glitzy and superficial as the fashion industry itself, a bauble in full regalia, and it’s likely your interest in the documentary will depend largely on your prior interest in the subject matter.
04/24/09
So enamored of its subject, legendary Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, that it almost loses sight of explaining why he's so great in the first place.
07/30/09
In this time of economic distress, watching the twilight of Valentino's enormous success, and the extravagant lifestyle it funded, doesn't feel like it's worth a lot of tears.
04/11/09
If I really wanted to indulge in stargazing, I'd just as soon hook up a telescope in the backyard and aim it at the night sky.
06/12/09
Frequently this doc plays like a real-life Fellini movie, filled with beautiful people and bizarre incidents. And ultimately it’s an unexpectedly touching love story.
06/26/09
In a time where fashion is reduced to tawdry reality shows, Valentino: The Last Emperor reinjects the sophistication and elegance in what some say is a lost art form.
06/10/09
The film successfully paints a picture of how this relationship worked so well as a business; it's less capable of penetrating the emotional story.
09/17/09
Valentino: The Last Emperor is a documentary with privileged access to the legendary designer in his studio, workshop, backstage, his homes, even aboard his yacht and private jet.
03/26/09
Top CriticMostly compelling documentary, though there are aspects to the fashion legend’s story that are unfortunately neglected.
09/15/09
Part celebrity dish, part business journalism...illuminating 2008 documentary.
03/27/09
Top CriticMatt Tyrnauer's documentary about the venerable Italian fashion designer, Valentino, has been billed as a love story, and so it is.
09/16/09
What we're left with is a touching love story, an outsized spectacle and a glorious bit of color in an often all too drab world.
05/20/09
From naked models draped in fabric, to private jet passengers draped in dogs, Valentino is a warts and all, fly on the wall insight into the life of one of the great fashion designers. Unfortunately in this flick there are more warts than all.
09/16/09
Stays firmly, admiringly, on the surface of things -- which is where all fashion kings should reign.
09/17/09
If Valentino doesn't reveal much about the man, it argues convincingly that the elaborate gowns, like the vintage one Julia Roberts wore to accept her Oscar, will outlive him, anyway.
06/12/09
Watching Valentino: The Last Emperor is a little like gorging on chocolate and Champagne.
03/18/09
Top CriticLatest News for Valentino: the Last Emperor
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