Brunello: The Gracious Visionary

7/17/2026

When telling an individual’s life story, there are basically two ways to go about it: a documentary or a narrative biography (or docudrama). The former format is generally an objective (and, hence, credible) way of telling the story, while the latter is essentially a form of fact-based entertainment (an informative, if not always accurate, account). However, in this latest offering from writer-director Giuseppe Tornatore, the filmmaker has taken a different path by fusing these two approaches, and, even though it may be an arguably inventive storytelling technique, it doesn’t always work. The subject in this case is clothing designer Brunello Cucinelli, who rose from modest beginnings in rural Italy to become a global force in cutting-edge fashion, style and comfort while becoming a leadin