Documentaries!

Thanks to Netflix, I've been watching some documentaries over the past few weeks.  I thought I'd give a little review of each of them (because I know you care).  Three were fashion-related, the other two were not.


Lagerfeld Confidential


This movie is about getting to know Karl Lagerfeld -- his iPod collection, his crazy soundbites, his casual attitude about work and his prolificness.  It's less about fashion, and for me, it was less interesting than watching the Chanel documentary I mentioned in a previous post, which had more of an insight into the creative process.  However, he is definitely an interesting personality.  His blase attitude about fashion and life in general has always intrigued me.

Valentino: The Last Emperor

This movie follows Valentino around in the last few years before his eventual retirement.  The movie revolved around the big retrospective they did.  What I liked about the movie was that it prominently featured his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti, who has quietly worked behind the scenes to build Valentino's empire.  There wasn't much about the creative process, and Valentino comes across as a brat, but the moments that highlighted their relationship, like when Valentino thanked Giammetti in his acceptance speech for the Legion d'Honneur, were poignant.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

I'm no Belieber, although I can't help liking the song "Baby," (which was written by the guy who produced Beyonce's Single Ladies, and Rihanna's Umbrella) but I wanted to watch this movie.  Firstly, Justin Bieber's fans are notoriously loyal and rabid, and I was intrigued by how this kid became a success through YouTube.  It was interesting to watch his development, starting as a toddler who sang on home videos, to recording covers on YouTube, to singing at local venues and festivals, to finally becoming one of the biggest pop stars today.  They showed him playing drums as an 8-year-old, and I have to admit, the kid is really talented.  I was also impressed by how much he loves his fans and doesn't want to let them down (like when he was sick and had to reschedule a couple of concerts), and how hard the kid works.  He is probably going to be around for a while.

Viktor & Rolf: Because We're Worth It!

I actually found this movie pretty boring, maybe because I'm not that big a fan of Viktor & Rolf to begin with, but probably also because they're not that interesting on camera.  The movie centers on the launch of their fragrance Flowerbomb, and follows them around as they work on getting things ready and doing other projects, like designing eyewear for a Japanese company.  Their work is avant garde so it was interesting to see them get some of their outfits ready for their show, but otherwise blah.

Good Hair

This movie was entertaining and informative.  Chris Rock is a good host, and it was interesting to see the lengths black women will go to to get "good" hair.  Rock also touches on issues of race and how black women view themselves through interviews of black celebrities.  The movie revolves around an annual hair competition and follows a few different stylists and their preparations for this crazy competition.