“Final Portrait” is an interesting film adaptation of James Lord’s book about the days he spent with Alberto Giacometti, who was commissioned to do a painting of Lord. While I doubt the film will have as much impact as the book did in the ’60s, Stanley Tucci’s “Final Portrait” does give viewers a visual perspective of Alberto Giacometti’s life, his work, his studio and interactions with those who are close to him. A good film overall and one worth checking out!
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DVD TITLE: Final Portrait
YEAR OF FILM: 2017
DURATION: 90 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: 2:39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, English, English Audio Description Track, English, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
COMPANY: Sony Pictures Classics
RATED: R (Language, Some Sexual References and Nudity)
AVAILABLE ON: July 31, 2018
Based on the memoir “A Giacometti Portrait” by James Lord
Directed by Stanley Tucci
Written by Stanley Tucci
Produced by Nik Bower, Gail Egan, Ilann Girard
Co-Producer: Elisabetta Boni
Executive Producer: Fred Hogge, Deepak Nayar
Line Producer: Michael S. Constable
Music by Evan Luri
Cinematography by Danny Cohen
Edited by Camilia Toniolo
Casting by Nina Gold
Production Design by James Merifield
Art Direction by David Hindle
Set Decoration by Sara Wan
Costume Design by Liza Bracey
Starring:
Armie Hammer as James Lord
Clemence Poesy as Caroline
Geoffrey Rush as Alberto Giacometti
Tony Shalhoub as Diego Giacometti
James Faulkner as Pierre Matisse
Sylvie Testud as Annette Arm
Set in 1964, FINAL PORTAIT is the story of the touching and offbeat friendship between American writer and art-lover James Lord and world-renowned artist Alberto Giacometti. Lord’s perspective reveals a unique insight into the beauty, frustration, profundity and sometimes chaos of the artistic process. While on a short trip to Paris, Lord is asked by his friend Giacometti to sit for a portrait. Giacometti promises the process will take only a few days, so Lord agrees – and ends up wondering how much longer it will go on.
James Lord is an American writer best known for his acclaimed biographies of Alberto Giacometti and Pablo Picasso.
Alberto Giacometti is a Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsmen and printmaker and one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century.
Back in 1964, Giacometti painted the “Portrait of James Lord”, a significant painting for the fact that it was a painting that he could not add anything or take away any more. It is a painting that has been widely exhibited.
So famous that James Lord wrote a book dedicated to the “Portrait of James Lord” titled “A Giacometti Portrait”, published by the Museum of Modern Art in 1965.
Actor Stanley Tucci (“Big Night”, “Spotlight”, “Captain America: The First Avenger”, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”) would write and direct the film “Final Portrait” based on the friendship between James Lord and Alberto Giacometti.
The film would star Armie Hammer (“The Scoial Network”, “Call Me By Your Name”, “The Lone Ranger”, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”), Clemence Poesy (“In Bruges”, “Last Love”, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”), Geoffrey Rush (“The King’s Speech”, “Shakespeare in Love”, “Quills”), Tony Shalhoub (“Galaxy Quest”, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, “Monk”), James Faulkner (“Downton Abbey”, “Game of Thrones”) and Sylvie Testud (“La Vie en Rose”, “Murderous Maids”, “Lourdes”).
The film revolves around writer and art enthusiast James Lord (portrayed by Armie Hammer) taking a short trip to Paris in 1964, when his friend, artist/sculptor Alberto Giacometti (portrayed by Geoffrey Rush) asked him to sit for a portrait.
Giacometti is world renown for his art and his work had no doubt captivated Lord, who travels to Paris on the assumption that it will only take a few days.
When James arrives, he meets Giacometti’s brother Diego (portrayed by Tony Shalhoub), his wife Annette (portrayed by Sylvie Tetsud) and a prostitute and his frequent model named Caroline (portrayed by Clemence Poesy).
James sees how Annette is not thrilled that her husband has an open affair with another woman, so she has companionship with another man. Meanwhile, James sees how Caroline is a woman who wants Giacometti for his money and car, which Giacometti had no problems with (but yet wouldn’t do the same for his wife).
And each time James Lord would sit to have his portrait painted, Giacometti was in somewhat of a creative slump that has led him to self-doubt. While a famous painter/sculptor, he didn’t se himself that way, and so he would often lose his train of thought and stop painting.
So, what would supposed to be a few days, would become two weeks and not really happy with is work, he would alter it, when they would paint, he would be interrupted by Caroline and other things that would affect Giacometti from painting James Lord.
But how would Lord find a way to convince the artist that he did a great job and what kind of life will Lord discover about his famous artistic friend?
But also Giacometti’s story that details a painter’s process of painting, reapplying, redoing and an art enthusiast trying to understand Giacometti’s state-of-mind and but also a writer who hopes his dear friend can complete the painting in time before he goes back to America.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Final Portrait” is presented in 2:39:1 anamorphic widescreen and in English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital.
Picture quality is as good as one can expect on DVD and I didn’t notice any major artifacts or problems with video.
Dialogue is primarily dialogue-driven with surround channels is primarily used for ambiance. But for the most part, picture and audio quality on DVD is very good.
Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH, Spanish and French.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Final Portrait” comes with the following special features:
- Interview Excerpts from Cast & Filmmakers – (51:00) Interview with the cast and crew of “Final Portrait”.
- Behind the Scenes Footage Clips – (10:10) Behind-the-scenes footage of the making of “Final Portrait”.
- Theatrical Trailer
When James Lord wrote about “A Giacometti Portrait” back in 1965, the book was heralded for its portrayal of how even the most renown, talented artists go through major frustrations in creating artwork.
Lord’s book not only showcased the friendship between both men, the life of Alberto Giacometti through the eyes of Lord, but also behind-the-scenes experiences which the writer observed during his stay in Paris for two weeks.
If anything, his book is no doubt necessary reading for artists who are in a similar position, trying to be creative when you feel you have self doubt. What you create is quickly destroyed, replaced, redone and whether or not one can be satisfied, Lord realized that his portrait will never be completed unless he did something to help appease Giacometti that what he did was great.
What was brought to the film shows the frustration which Giacometti endured but it had to delve into his more personal life to those close to him. Lord wrote in his book, “‘Alberto was extremely difficult to live with – his obsessive fussiness, his maniacal attention to detail, his almost pathological preoccupation with spatial relationships” and I feel that actor Geoffrey Rush did a wonderful job in portraying that in the film.
His wife Annette doesn’t receive the same type of love that he gives to prostitute/model Caroline. And while Giacometti’s artwork is renown, the depiction of how he treated Caroline and his wife, didn’t make me feel much respect towards the man.
He liked Annette for companionship, to take care of him when he was ill and whether or not there was any romance, even in photos with Alberto Giacometti and Annette Arm, they seem distant. Find photos of him and Caroline and he’s caressing his arm, staring directly at her. In the film, the audience would see how he would be so inviting to Caroline in front of his wife and see her sad reaction, which was quite sad to see. But as he had a relationship with Caroline and lavished her with gifts, Annette did the same with another man. Not sure if by choice or by spite. But I guess it’s how that relationship worked. But it’s important to note that Lord’s book is based on the final years of Giacometti’s life.
If there was one relationship that seemed positive, it was Alberto’s relationship with his brother Diego. Back when they were kids, Alberto made his first sculpture of Diego at the age of 13. Lord’s portrayal of Diego in the book was positive as a man who did a lot of work including mold’s for Alberto’s sculptures, carving sculptures in stone and more. And led to his success as a furniture maker after his brother’s death. Tony Shalhoub plays the role effectively, as a young brother who does all he can to support his brother but at the same time, careful of what to say to Lord, who questions Alberto’s changing moods on whether or not he can finish his portrait.
The depiction of Giacometti’s workplace as a dump, was well-portrayed by the set designer Sara Wan for the film. Writer Jean Genet described Giacometti’s studio as a “milky swamp, a seething dump, a genuine ditch” and this was back in 1957.
While “Final Portrait” is a good adaptation of James Lord’s book “A Giacometti Portrait”, it’s a film that is primarily driven by conversation. And while the conversations are not as deep if compared to an Eric Rohmer film, I found myself praising James Lord’s patience because if I was strewn around, waiting for paintings, canceling flights and spending money just to stay in Paris in hopes a renown artist can finish a portrait, that’s a very tough thing to do.
“Final Portrait” is an interesting film adaptation of James Lord’s book about the days he spent with Alberto Giacometti, who was commissioned to do a painting of Lord. While I doubt the film will have as much impact as the book did in the ’60s, Stanley Tucci’s “Final Portrait” does give viewers a visual perspective of Alberto Giacometti’s life, his work, his studio and interactions with those who are close to him. A good film overall and one worth checking out!
