Hillary Clinton and Oprah sing their praises to the designer here, in case you’re wondering what level of girlboss this film is on.
What it's about
A deep dive into the exciting life of renowned designer and socialite Diane von Furstenberg, whose wrap dress invention proved to be a game changer for women reclaiming their femininity in man's world.
The take
Diane von Furstenberg has no doubt lived a rich, fascinating life, but the documentary struggles to strike a balanced tone and instead comes off as an advertisement of DVF’s (admittedly beautiful) dresses. It’s not that the designer doesn’t merit the glowing praise given to her by friends, family, and experts in the documentary, but that the other side of the coin is never explored in depth. The creases to her character (and there are plenty) aren’t given any airtime as von Furstenberg is portrayed as an admirable albeit flat role model. The only exception here is when daughter Tatiana recalls the time her mother has been absent virtually all throughout her childhood, but even then, the documentary just glosses over this thorny part of their past. The film is fun and aspirational, loaded with delightful collages of home videos and designer clothes, but it’s hardly inspiring or relatable. Even in her old age, von Furstenberg seems to admit that she carries no business sense, and only stumbles into financial success with luck and plenty of help. Thankfully, she doesn’t feign ignorance about her privilege, even if the directors bafflingly insist on a rags-to-riches narrative.
What stands out
All that said, the many lives von Furstenberg has lived are a pleasure to watch. The rotating lovers and addresses are straight out of a love story.
Comments
Add a comment
Your name
Your comment
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
My King (2015)
A lover heals her knee and her heart in this contemplative drama about co-dependency
7.0
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
A gay man and a political prisoner change each other's lives through their stories in this wonderfully made drama
7.8
Hail Satan? (2019)
Forget everything you think you know about the Satanic Temple
8.0
I Lost My Body (2019)
The Oscar-nominated unconventional animation
8.2
Incendies (2011)
Part melodrama, part war thriller, Incendies is gorgeous and heartbreaking from the first scene
9.9
Cold War (2018)
A quiet Polish masterpiece with ravishing music and dazzling visuals
9.2
Character (1997)
A young lawyer and a cold-hearted bailiff are brought together in hatred and rejection in this moody mystery drama
7.7
Mommy (2014)
Aiming straight for the heart while punching you in the guts, Mommy is a crazy chamber piece about a widowed mother and her next-door neighbor bringing up a savage teenager
9.6
The Edge of Democracy (2019)
Mixing personal history with hardcore journalism, this is the story of Brazil's fragile democracy.
9.0
The Night Comes for Us (2018)
A Triad enforcer punches out a bloody escape in this spectacular, violent crime thriller