Adapted from the stage play and set over three days in the life of the painter, Johnny Depp’s unruly study of the Italian artist, is a frustrating, at times baffling biopic. We first encounter Modigliani (Scamarcio). in WW1 Paris where he is sketching society women for money. After he insults a flirtatious lady’s male partner a brawl breaks out, followed by a chase through the Paris streets. Depp, setting out his stylistically promiscuous directorial approach, switches to sped up black and white mode here a la Keystone Cops while Tom Waits plays on the soundtrack. Modigliani’s time is spent between drinking with his bohemian painter friends, Maurice Utrillo (Gouery) and the wildly eccentric Chaime Soutine (a grindingly over the top McPartland), and visiting his lover British journalist Beatrice Hastings (Desplat). While Modigliani is struggling to sell his paintings via his agent Léopold Zborowski (Graham) he is haunted by visions of the war and his imminent death. Despite a cartoonish script and performances, and jittery, rhythm-free editing, the film still manages to be as dull as any trad biopic. There is clearly a degree of projection in play on Depp’s part in its depiction of a misunderstood, rebellious artist who plays by his own rules and just gets on with it while others merely carp from sidelines, leaving Scamarcio with little to work with. A cameo from Al Pacino (who originated the lead role in the stage play) as Gagnat, a fearsome, plain- speaking art dealer brings a little drama, but the film only really comes to life in scenes between Modigliani and Beatrice, with Desplat fleshing out a sketchily written part.

David Willoughby

Follow David on Bluesky @davidwilloughby.bsky.social