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Valentino: The Last Emperor
Metascore
68 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    91
    Film music by Nino Rota provides a Fellini overlay.
  2. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    88
    The decadence is obvious. But true to the Valentino prerogative, it's beautiful - sad, too: a dream life moving into the unknown.
  3. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    83
    You wouldn't necessarily want to be Valentino, but this sprightly film may make you nostalgic for a life you've never lived.
  4. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Natasha Senjanovic
    80
    Entertaining and even poignant.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    80
    Unexpectedly involving documentary.
  6. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    80
    Seldom has a film explored such exotica as Valentino's world -- the gowns, the galas, the villas, the private jets -- with such a sense of momentous drama behind the glitz.
  7. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    80
    Part celebrity dish, part business journalism, this illuminating 2008 documentary about the legendary Italian designer Valentino Garavani spans the tumultuous final two years of his decades-long reign as one of the most successful innovators in the fashion industry.
  8. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    A documentary with privileged access to the legendary designer in his studio, workshop, backstage, his homes, even aboard his yacht and private jet.
  9. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Marta Barber
    75
    Among the invited guests are Sarah Jessica Parker and Julia Roberts. Only one fellow designer is present: Karl Lagerfeld, the German designer settled in Paris.
  10. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    75
    Filled with affecting moments.
  11. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Sylvia Rubin
    75
    At its heart, the film is about the intense connection between Valentino and his business partner of 50 years, Giancarlo Giammetti, the brains behind the branding.
  12. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    75
    Light, engaging documentary.
  13. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Joe Williams
    75
    Unexpectedly poignant.
  14. Variety
    Reviewed by: Alissa Simon
    70
    What adds heart, and humor, is the interplay between the legendary couturier and Giancarlo Giammetti, his longtime partner in business and life.
  15. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    67
    Ultimately, the film feels as glitzy and superficial as the fashion industry itself, a bauble in full regalia, and it's likely your interest in the documentary will depend largely on your prior interest in the subject matter.
  16. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    67
    From Valentino Garavani's imperious carriage and diva fits to his coterie of tiny dogs, the subject of Tyrnauer's doc comes off like a fictional character, scripted by a writer with a weakness for cliché.
  17. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    67
    This love letter to Valentino from director Matt Tyrnauer seems intended for the already smitten.
  18. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    63
    The filmmaker's access was impressive, the results moderately entertaining.
  19. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    60
    Lively and affectionate, Matt Tyrnauer's documentary is made for those who believe, as he does, that the work of fashion designer Valentino is worthy of the most respectful chronicle.
  20. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Liam Lacey
    50
    Superficial but giddily entertaining backstage documentary.
  21. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    50
    Watching the movie is a little like gorging on chocolate and Champagne until that queasy moment arrives when you realize you've consumed far too much.
  22. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Melissa Anderson
    40
    Dedicated follower of fashion Matt Tyrnauer crafts the slick, superficial portrait that you might expect from a Vanity Fair special correspondent.
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