Modigliani

Modigliani is a period piece devoid of emotional resonance, despite a full-bodied performance by Andy Garcia. Garcia stars as famed painter Amedeo Modigliani, who alternates between feuding with Pablo Picasso (played by Omid Djalili) and contemplating marriage to his pregnant girlfriend (Elsa Zylberstein). The film has been written and directed by Mick Davis, and there’s no denying that it looks authentic. Davis, along with cinematographer Emmanuel Kadosh, presents a vision of Paris that often resembles a painting – and like a painting, the film is visually impressive but that’s about the extent of it. It doesn’t help that Modigliani focuses on a very specific period in the artists life, which seems to consist entirely of his feud with Picasso (which is resolved incredibly poorly, with a slow clap of all things!) The only thing that keeps the film from becoming an all-out bore is Garcia’s amazing performance, which is just as vital and exciting as we’ve come to expect from the actor (too bad the same can’t be said of this sterile biopic).

** out of ****