Giuseppe Tornatore’s ‘Brunello: The Gracious Visionary’ presents fashion designer Brunello Cucinelli’s journey from rural poverty in Perugia to international luxury success, celebrating his belief in “humanistic capitalism”. The review finds it visually seductive and expertly shaped by the ‘Cinema Paradiso’ director, but argues that its company-backed production and reverential tone make it closer to hagiography than an objective biography.

The film recreates Cucinelli’s childhood in lush, nostalgic detail, with the designer narrating memories of farm life, family meals and lessons about work and beauty. Born in 1956, Cucinelli is shown reflecting on familiar stories alongside his wife, daughters, employees and colleagues, while Tornatore delays the account of his business beginnings for more than an hour.