"There's an argument to be made that we have heard everything we ever need to hear from John Galliano," said Wendy Ide in The Observer. He is the flamboyant British designer who was "ignominiously sacked" as creative director of Dior in 2011, after footage emerged of him "booze-sodden" in a Paris bar, "spewing an antisemitic tirade at strangers". That video earned Galliano a criminal conviction, said Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian. However, his defenders say he wasn't "really antisemitic" – and that it was "the booze, the drugs and the nervous breakdown talking". He has since been engaged in a process of rehabilitation, both drying out from his addictions and seeking to educate himself with help from Holocaust charities, and has been forgiven by the fashion world.
Three years in the making, this new documentary from Kevin Macdonald ("Touching the Void", "The Last King of Scotland") traces Galliano's journey, said Stephen Doig in The Daily Telegraph. Using his own words, and those of A-list fans (including Kate Moss and Anna Wintour), it offers a "fascinating" account of the designer's early years and the success that won him a "superstar lifestyle", but also brought the almost-unbearable pressure of designing up to 32 collections a year. "High & Low" also asks: "should one of the greatest fashion geniuses of the 20th century" have been so swiftly absolved for what he claims was a moment of madness? It's a question the film itself – which is about Galliano's frailty and flaws, as much as his genius – declines to answer. It allows him to present his side, but also gives voice to those who were "deeply wounded by his actions".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest ManIn the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliationTalking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
-
Saint Paul de Vence: a paradise for art loversThe Week Recommends The hilltop gem in the French Riviera where 20th century modernism flourished
-
Stay sharp with the country's best knife shopsThe Week Recommends A dull knife is a kitchen's worst nightmare
-
Langdale Chase Hotel: a cosy nook in the Lake DistrictThe Week Recommends This Victorian villa has breathtaking views and expansive gardens
-
Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour – an 'expansive' exhibitionThe Week Recommends The 'sweeping' show features over 140 works from paintings to ceramics
-
Kate Summerscale picks her favourite true crime booksThe Week Recommends The writer shares works by Janet Malcolm, Helen Garner and Mark O'Connell
-
The Forsyte Saga: 'faultless' production with a 'pitch-perfect' castThe Week Recommends Theatrical adaptation of John Galsworthy's novels is a 'must-see' show
-
The World of Tim Burton: a 'creepy, witty and visually ravishing' exhibitionThe Week Recommends Sprawling show at the Design Museum features over 600 exhibits from across the directors' five-decade career from early sketches to costumes and props
-
5 online spice shops that will breathe life into your cooking and bakingThe Week Recommends Accessing fresh spices does not have to be a grind
