WILL DOC VALENTINO BE WEARING OSCAR THIS YEAR?
I want to take a moment to discuss something that surprisingly few others have in the past…
Things can get a bit awkward for Oscar bloggers around this time of year because we’re invited to all sorts of events and parties for films and people about whom we will later have to write. Some feel that we shouldn’t ever attend these because doing so will bias our future coverage. Perhaps that’s true for film critics, who must share their personal feelings in their writing, but it’s not true for most Oscar bloggers — certainly not me — for one very simple reason: nothing is more important in our line of work than offering accurate projections. They are the measure by which you judge us, and the measure by which we judge ourselves, and for that reason (in addition to my own morals), no form or amount of flattery (or lack thereof) will ever lead me to present a picture of the awards race that is any different than what I honestly believe it to be.
Having made that very clear, I’ll now share some thoughts on a cool event that I attended last night: a party celebrating the DVD release of best documentary hopeful “Valentino” in the penthouse bar of The Standard Hotel in New York…
“Valentino: The Last Emperor” (Acolyte, 3/18, trailer), the debut directorial effort of journalist Matt Tyrnauer, offers a penetrating peak into the world of couture fashion and the relationship between one of its most famous designers, Valentino Garavani, and his boyfriend of nearly 50 years, Giancarlo Giammetti. The film came about after Tyrnauer spent a considerable amount of time following the men around the world for an August 2004 Vanity Fair profile, winning their confidence and permission to continue to observe them and record footage for a film. Using lightweight cameras that allowed him to keep up with their fast-paced lifestyle, he captured sides of both men that have never previously been seen by the general public and perhaps even close friends.
As someone who couldn’t possibly know less or be less interested in fashion, I was surprised to find myself deeply moved by the film when I first saw it on a screener shortly before its release early this year, and consequently I have been talking it up and keeping it on my awards charts ever since. I was concerned, however, that its awards hopes had been abandoned — until I received the invitation to this event, the turnout of which seems to indicate that it has support in high places. Those in attendance — in addition to Tyrnauer, Garavani, and Giammetti — included producer/beer heiress Daphne Guinness, talk show host Charlie Rose (who conducted an interview the director and subjects back on March 19), actor Hugh Jackman (on the day he was formally replaced as the host of the Oscars), actress Mischa Barton (back on the party circuit after a trying year), actor Adrien Brody, producer Brian Grazer, and even singer Madonna (whose 22-year-old boyfriend, Jesus Luz, was serving as the DJ, and who accordingly busted a few moves upon her arrival).
I understand that much of the “Valentino” awards campaign is being independently funded by Tyrnauer and that the PR firm 42 West is hard at work trying to revive interest in it and get it seen by critics groups. The early Fall release of the similarly-themed Anna Wintour doc “The September Issue” hasn’t made their work any easier, but I suspect that people who actually check out “Valentino” will find it to be the superior film.
Photo: Valentino and Hugh Jackman at the “Valentino” DVD release party. Credit: Scott Feinberg.
No bias, ehh? Yet you haven’t covered the pleathera of news happening on the Oscar front this week (Ohh, like who are the new hosts, how a jeff bridges films might come into play) and report on a flashy event that Madge attended? Come on Scott, your smarter then that! Don’t be played for a tool.
No bias. I don’t cover day-to-day Oscar news. I do weekly charts, periodic interviews, and occasional riffs on films, people, and topics that interest me, including but certainly not limited to “Valentino.”