Final Portrait, written and directed by Stanley Tucci, based on the book by James Lord - 9.4 out of 10

Final Portrait, written and directed by Stanley Tucci, based on the book by James Lord

9.4 out of 10

Final Portrait is a marvelous, splendid portrait of the genius painter and sculptor Alberto Giacometti, as brought forward to the audiences by the iconic Geoffrey Rush- winner of an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of another artist, in Shine – and James Lord aka one of the best actors on screens, albeit so young, Armie Hammer.

The public finds at the start of the film that the American writer and esthete James Lord has taken a trip to Paris in 1964 – year of the undersigned’s birth – and Alberto Giacometti has asked him to sit for a portrait, which apparently would only take a few days.

The feature is subdued, as Alberto Giacometti seems to have been less volcanic than Pablo Picasso for instance – one remarkable film about this other genius that you can see is Surviving Picasso – but the narrative is mesmerizing, offering insight into the brilliant mind of a creator that doubted so much his abilities that the Final Portrait ends up taking many more days, as the painter keeps taking out the big brush and putting paint over a work that he is dissatisfied with.

One of the many scenes that reveals, underlines the modesty of this acclaimed, stupendous magician has him come to his atelier in fury, taking his sketches out and burning them, because he has been told they cannot be used as lithographs and hence he has no use for it, in spite of the protest of Lord, who is waiting to pose for the never ending portrait.

We have the opportunity when seeing this educational film to learn about the view that Giacometti had on so many subjects – he tells his model that portraits used to be important, before the arrival of photography, and they had to be finished, whereas now – in 1964 – they have no meaning…signifying that they lack the significance of telling people what the model used to look like, something that a photo can do better…perhaps

In another of the many dialogues between the protagonists – James Lord has to sit for long periods, given that the painter is not at all satisfied with his portrait – Alberto Giacometti tells his model that he looks like a degenerate from the front and like a brute from the side and then he states that he has no control over his painting, for it comes and goes.

Just as James Lord and the public are more than happy with what the genius has seemingly completed, Alberto Giacometti takes out another brush and paints over, destroying it, only to ensure a new start, causing his model to devise a strategy by which to deter this repeated act of figurative immolation.

James Lord talks with the painter- sculptor’s brother, Diego Giacometti aka excellent Tony Shalhoub, about the regret he has to see this portrait disappear, I a repeated and infuriating ritual, and when he thinks the time has come for yet another destructive act, he stands up and says that he needs to stretch and move, makes a sign to Diego, who is working nearby and asks for his opinion.

In their private conversations, when Alberto Giacometti is not present, the young American writer asks Diego is he was reading one of his books, then he says that the sculptor appears ‘determined to remain completely unsatisfied’ and the brother replies to this: ‘not completely…perfectly’ and they seem to bond with each other.

In the meantime, James Lord and the audience is getting acquainted with Caroline, a young woman who is the primary model and the obsession of the creator, someone for whom he has to pay a couple of pimps, for the company, the modelling of the past months and then another wad of banknotes for the upcoming six months.

As they become ever more intimate friends – figuratively, for although James lord is gay, Giacometti is not – the genius asks ‘have you ever killed anyone?...I ask because I think you are capable of anything…in a good way’ and then continues with ‘I have killed many people…in my mind’.

“Death must be the most fascinating experience”

Some of the other rewarding exchanges are:

Alberto Giacometti: When I was young, I thought I could do everything. When I grew up, I realized I could do nothing. That's what kept me going.

…

Alberto Giacometti: Just so you know, it is also impossible to ever finish a portrait.

James Lord: What do you mean?

Alberto Giacometti: Well, portraits used to be finished. They had to be. They were necessary. It was a substitute for a photograph. Now, portraits have no meaning.

James Lord: So, what we're doing is meaningless?

Alberto Giacometti: Mm. And impossible. And I'm not even doing it. I can only ever try to do it.

…

Alberto Giacometti: [preparing to paint him] You have the head of a brute.

James Lord: Gee, thanks.

Alberto Giacometti: Yeah. You look like a real thug.

James Lord: Thank you.

Alberto Giacometti: If I was to paint you as I see you now and a policeman was to see this painting, you'd be thrown in jail, like that.