Valentino: The Last Emperor

Less a probing examination of the life and work of designer Valentino Garavani than a glorified reality show, Valentino: The Last Emperor only leaves the viewer hungry for more information on the titular couture legend. Matt Tyrnauer’s perfunctory documentary captures the immaculately bronzed Valentino as he prepares for his insanely lavish 45th anniversary celebration, but we get little more than a series of Kardashian-grade hissy fits from the man who dressed everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Sophia Loren to Julia Roberts. The most interesting portions of the film deal with Valentino’s oft-neglected partner/employee/lover Giancarlo Giammetti, especially his dignified protection of the Valentino legacy, which we see sold and resold into oblivion by corporate interests. Valentino: The Last Emperor would have been a good TV show, but it’s just an OK movie.