Raf Simons, the son of a night guard and a cleaning lady becomes the next creative director at Christian Dior, one of the world’s famous iconic fashion houses. The film documents his role and experiences in creating his first collection for Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2012. ‘Dior and I’ hit theaters on April 10.
‘Dior and I’ was rated 7.1/10 from 279 users on IMDb. Its Metascore is 70 on Metacritic. The film is 82% Certified Fresh on the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 7.2/10. Out of 50 reviews, it has received 41 Fresh reviews and 9 Rotten reviews. It has an 85% on the Audience Score with an average rating of 4/5 out of 1,216 user ratings.
“It’s a bourgeois environment, in a house that’s seen in France as the most important position in fashion, along with Chanel. But I don’t care about that. What I find amazing is that it’s a beautiful house where I can make clothes to make women happy. I was raised in a very happy nest by very happy people, and I like to think that those are enough ingredients to make me succeed at Dior,” said Simons in an interview with Vogue.
‘Dior and I’ stars Jennifer Lawrence, Marion Cotillard, Sharon Stone, Raf Simons, Anna Wintour, Sidney Toledano, Pieter Mulier, and Omar Berrada as Christian Dior. Frédéric Tcheng wrote and directed the film. Guillaume de Roquemaurel, Chiara Girardi, and Juliette Lambours produced the film. Gilles Piquard is the cinematographer and Julio Perez IV is the editor. The film features music by Ha-Yang Kim.
Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes:
“The movie, not to mention the company, deserves praise for showing the challenges as well as the triumphs; "Dior and I" doesn't shy away from conflicts when they arise. This isn't marketing material. It's a real look at a fascinating line of work,” wrote Stephanie Merry from Washington Post.
“Tcheng finds Simons in moments of haughty self-confidence and tremulous self-doubt,” wrote Steven Rea from Philadelphia Inquirer.
“The documentary offers a privileged behind-the-scenes look at the workings of a business. It's also about the difficulties of the creative process, the running of an organization, and the adjustments that must be made when a new boss is in town,” wrote Mick LaSalle from San Francisco Chronicle.
“Dior and I" intimately demonstrates the tricky balance between art and commerce, between perpetuating a mythology while attending to the bottom line, and doing it with the pressure of a ticking clock,” wrote Christy Lemire from RogerEbert.com.
“One does come away with a grudging admiration for the toil and ingenuity of the many players who bring it all together,” wrote Bruce Demara from Toronto Star.