Sensibly dramatising a few representative days rather than Giacometti’s whole life, this may seem slight, but there’s a lot to dig into here — and Rush hasn’t had a showcase this good in years.
What the film lacks is any sense of drama. Lord sits, Giacometti paints…and that’s about it.
Rush’s exuberant, ostentatious performance doesn’t leave much room for introspection, but it does tap into the way art, for good or ill, is sometimes an exercise in abandonment, making the film an exploration of the trauma involved in making peace with that fact.
Final Portrait grows repetitive and feels claustrophobic, as if filmed in studios rather than on location. But it is entertaining and there is ultimately a poignancy in an artist addicted to perfectionism.
Geoffrey Rush is overly whimsical but this drama about the Swiss artist gets the look just right.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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