2008 (Marc Tyrnauer) PG, 96 min

To peek around the curtains into the gorgeous, frantic, magically inspired life of the last couturier, Valentino Garavani as he prepares for his anniversary celebrations in Rome is to glimpse a world which you thought couldn’t exist, yet somehow does. Valentino was the last of the self-made couturiers and the last recognizable exponent of Italy’s La Dolce Vita, that glamorous, sun-drenched time in the early sixties when decadence held hands with opulent fashion. While there’s plenty of backstage industry gossip and bitchiness and a plethora of famous stars wandering about, Vanity Fair writer-turned-director Tyrnauer manages to capture a portrait that is both intimate and poignant. The fashion god shares his life and business with long-time partner Giancarlo Giammetti and they, like many couples, alternate between bickering and evident devotion, sometimes in three languages. The true depth of Valentino’s work can only be appreciated now that he’s retired, the house he founded bought by new-style businessmen bent on profit and marketability. Gone from the world is couture from a time when sophistication, elegance and workmanship were everything. Look upon it while you can…it was beautiful.