Indulging in the January issues of both Marie Claire and Vogue, I found myself gushing over the beautiful dresses adorned by socialites and celebrities in the magazines. Although I read both MC’s Natalie Portman piece and Vogue’s Rachel McAdams interview, what really caught my eye in the glossy pages was an advertisement for Valentino: The Last Emperor. The documentary by Vanity Fair special correspondent Matt Tyrnauer is now available on DVD and, as the advertisement claimed, is “the most fashionable gift this holiday.”
Having previously heard about the documentary following fashion designer Valentino Garavani, the ad ignited me to rent the DVD. Although the gorgeous gowns are highlighted, the main feature of the film is Valentino’s relationship with Giancarlo Giametti, his partner of 50 years.
Tyrnauer told the history of Valentino’s career in fashion, as well as his love story with Giancarlo, but barely scratched the surface of Italy’s renowned designer. The private and guarded Valentino didn’t wish to divulge his past with the film maker, even demanding Tyrnauer stop filming and since the film was self-financed, Valentino’s cooperation was vital to film success.
Valentino: The Last Emperor shows the glamorous life of an acclaimed fashion designer; from a private jet to residences in France and Italy, and star-studded soirees, Valentino lives the good life. But for all of his possessions, the designer works extremely hard to earn everything he has. The Italian is meticulous with each garment, striving for perfection, and the beautiful finished pieces are a tribute to Valentino’s hard work.
The glimpse into Valentino Garavani’s life is an interesting one and apparently others agree. According to the Hollywood Reporter, after producer/director Ivan Reitman watched the film in Toronto, he recommended it for his neighbour, Oprah Winfrey. Like Reitman, Oprah enjoyed the film, and decided to dedicate half an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show to the film. Thanks to Oprah, what started off as a self-financed, self-distributed film has grossed nearly $2 million thus far.
Although Valentino may not have enjoyed the filming process, the end result must please his perfectionist taste. Like the designer, Tyrnauer clearly paid attention to detail, and it shows. Valentino: The Last Emperor may have been self-financed, but no expense was spared in the quality of this production. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film has made the shortlist for best documentary feature Oscar; karma for a dedicated and hardworking documentarian.
A few years ago, my family and I decided to see The Amazing Kreskin at a local theatre. An elderly man with thick-rimmed glasses, Kreskin told anecdotes of acquaintances who were famous in the 1970s and played songs on the piano, but his main act-and the reason for the packed theatre- was mentalism. Kreskin would put audience members in a trance, read their minds and find hidden objects in the theatre. Although Kreskin was a little dorky, he wowed the audience with his mentalism, and I was hooked.
Since seeing The Amazing Kreskin perform, I’ve always been intrigued by mentalists. Earlier this year, I interviewed Haim Goldenberg from the Canadian show GoldMind for TVGuide.ca, and found his act mind-boggling. Just how does The Amazing Kreskin and Haim Goldenberg do it? Mentalism must be a trick, I thought; both claim that it’s not.
Home for the holidays, I decided to rent The Great Buck Howard, starring Colin Hanks, John Malkovich and Emily Blunt. Like The Amazing Kreskin, The Great Buck Howard visits small towns across the country where he is admired by townsfolk. He is entertaining and exciting, baffling the audiences with each act. Although cheesy, audiences adore The Great Buck Howard, just as my family and I adore Kreskin.
Unhappy in law school, Troy Gable (Hanks) drops out to become a writer, but applies for a job in showbiz to pay the bills. The job turns out to be assisting The Great Buck Howard (Malkovich), a mentalist once popular in the 1970s. Travelling with Buck Howard to small American towns, Gable finds himself astonished by Howard’s ability but frustrated with his erratic behaviour. Topping it off, Troy’s law-enthusiast father (played by Colin’s actual father, Tom Hanks) doesn’t know about his son’s new job.
The Great Buck Howard isn’t the star he once was, dribbling on about Johnny Carson and George Takei, friends from his heyday. But all that is about to change with his newest act: putting “hundreds” of people to sleep. Publicist Valerie Brennan (Emily Blunt) reluctantly visits to get media coverage for Howard’s act and ends up falling for Troy, much to Howard’s annoyance.
From his cheesy songs to mind-boggling numbers bit (asking an audience member to write down a number and the mentalist saying exactly what that number was), my family and I found The Great Buck Howard to be a fictionalized version of our favourite mentalist, The Amazing Kreskin. When Buck Howard told the audience to hide his cheque while he waited in another room-returning to bump into audience members as he searched for the money-my family realized that this film must be a take on Kreskin, as this was his main act. At the end of the film, we were quite excited to learn that the film was in fact based on The Amazing Kreskin. Turns out, writer-director Sean McGinly worked as Kreskin’s road manager.
The Great Buck Howard is an interesting film for the whole family. The amazing cast and interesting story make this a fun watch and I certainly recommend renting it. For those yet to see a mentalist perform, I suggest buying tickets before renting this movie, as watching a mentalist perform adds to this film experience.
I love glittery, poofy, über girl dresses, which is why I indulge in film costumes. I love the gorgeous satin, the vibrant colour and the perfectly shaped gowns. Viewing the cinema screen I squeal in delight at the stunning pieces, each better than the next, and wish my wardrobe included such gems. So as a costume enthusiast, I am excited to see the numbers featured in Nine, the Golden Globe nominated film starring such leading ladies as Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Kate Hudson, among others. With this ensemble cast, the ladies are sure to be dressed to the nines.
In my eyes, all that glitters is gold. I just adore the glitz and glamour of it all, and cannot wait to feast my eyes on the divine dresses featured in films. Therefore, I have-with much deliberation-selected three characters from film that have the most luxurious wardrobe. Of course, they are all quite impractical for real life, but that’s precisely why people go to the movies- to escape the mundane.
Fleur Delacour
.
Always wearing a shade of blue, Harry Potter’s Fleur Delacour always looks elegant. Played by Clémence Poésy, Fleur’s wardrobe includes her Beauxbatons Academy of Magic uniform, sweatsuit, swimsuit for the Triwizard Tournament and dress for the Yule Ball (left).
.
Marion Davies
Set in 1924 on a luxury yacht in San Pedro, California,The Cat’s Meow (2001) stars Kirsten Dunst as silent film star Marion Davies. From glamorous headpieces to sleek nail-polish, Dunst has an incredible wardrobe as Marion Davies, the mistress of Mr. William Randolph Hearst.
Glinda the Good Witch
.
From 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, Glinda’s voluptuous gown stands the test of time. Watching the classic film as a child, I thought the costume was the prettiest dress I had ever seen. While the pink crinoline, hat and wand may be a bit much for a social outing, it would make an excellent costume for Halloween or theme party. Billie Burke as Glinda, with long red hair, pink gown and magic wand is part of film history.
From Fleur Delacour to Glinda the Good Witch, film characters sport the most glamorous costumes. Their embellished gowns send me in a tizzy for sequins, jewels and satin. Their strong colours and perfect fit steal the gaze of audiences that love the glitz of costumes.
Indulging in the January issues of both Marie Claire and Vogue, I found myself gushing over the beautiful dresses adorned by socialites and celebrities in the magazines. Although I read both MC’s Natalie Portman piece and Vogue’s Rachel McAdams interview, what really caught my eye in the glossy pages was an advertisement for Valentino: The Last Emperor. The documentary by Vanity Fair special correspondent Matt Tyrnauer is now available on DVD and, as the advertisement claimed, is “the most fashionable gift this holiday.”
A few years ago, my family and I decided to see 
Set in 1924 on a luxury yacht in San Pedro, California,The Cat’s Meow (2001) stars Kirs
