FINAL PORTRAIT: A MOVIE ABOUT ALBERTO GIACOMETTI

Final portrait is the new movie directed by Stanley Tucci, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in “The Lovely Bones” (2009), and is known for his unforgettable performance as “Nigel” in “The Devil wears Prada”.

For his fifth film as a director, Stanley Tucci has chosen to provide a portrait of the artist Alberto Giacometti, drawing inspiration from the book written by the American art critic James Lord, who described 5 weeks he spent in 1964 together with the artist.

The role of Alberto Giacometti is played by Geoffrey Rush (Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in “Shine” in 1997), who steps into the shoes of the artist as if it was the most natural thing in the world; indeed, it feels like he has always been Giacometti, because there’s a close resemblance between the actor and the character he plays.

Geoffrey Rush nel ruolo di Alberto Giacometti

The story of Final portrait begins with the meeting in Paris between Giacometti and Lord, and with Giacometti’s idea of painting a portrait of his friend, a work that should have lasted only one afternoon and that, instead, would last some weeks.

The movie is an endless wait for the artist to finish the portrait and to be at last satisfied with his work.
The main theme explored by Stanley Tucci focuses on the creative process of the artist and what art is.

Final portrait is neither the story of Giacometti’s life nor the account of the last part of his life (the portrait of James Lord would be the last one before the artist’s death), but rather is the description of the development of an idea that comes into the mind of the creator and has to be translated into reality on canvas.

Throughout this process of thinking and rethinking, destroying and starting over the portrait of James Lord, a series of characters that are part of the life of Alberto Giacometti appear on and disappear from the scene.
His brother and assistant, his wife, his mistress and Lord himself are the movable elements of the artist’s dusty and messy studio.

Final portrait, which will be on at Italian cinemas on February 8^th 2018, is not a movie about the life of an artist, but the description of a particular moment, a miniature which tries to explain what an artist is and if the talent is a gift or a curse.

Armie Hammer nel ruolo di James Lord.