Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness

"Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness" is a biographical drama directed by Johnny Depp, marking his return to the director's chair after over two decades. The film delves in three days in the life of Amedeo Modigliani, where he contemplates abandoning his career and fleeing Paris.

Riccardo Scamarcio gives a raw and magnetic performance as Modigliani, expressing his emotional inner turmoil, desperate for recognition. Al Pacino, as art collector Maurice Gangnat, represents the transactional nature of art and commerce in a way that highlights Modigliani's existential crisis.

The film's visual narrative, created by cinematographers Dariusz Wolski and Nicola Pecorini, is stunning. Shot in Budapest, Hungary, with washed-out blues for Modigliani's struggles and black and white sequences like the early silent cinema. The camera lingers on faces, emphasizing the psychological depth of its characters. Rather than giving a chronological retelling, Depp chooses to show us Modigliani's emotions, making his inner conflict the focus of the film.

"Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness" is a shoot character study, that prioritizes psychological depth over traditional storytelling. Depp's direction with Scamarcio's performance and the film's cinematography, creates a portrait of an artist at war with himself and the world around him. It's an abstract and introspective film that immerses us in Modi's world.

Do you know that guy from school or college who cycled through every "dark and edgy" music subgenre, from EMO to black metal, industrial, dark ambient, Power Electronics, Harsh noise, and even UNGA BUNGA BESTIAL war metal, all for show or to fit in, only to bail halfway? Classic poseur move, right?

That's Johnny Depp's "Modi: Three Days on the Wings of Madness" in a nutshell. It's a passion project with raw, sprawling ambition that often fumbles. Yet, the soundtrack slaps harder than the script deserves. Honestly, what did you expect from Depp-a sophisticated, art-house drama worthy of Locarno, MAX OPHÜLS PREIS, Edinburgh, Sitges, or Rotterdam? Seriously.

But it's not all bad! It has genuinely cool moments and flashes of fiction with visual artistry, rather than adhering strictly to a traditional biographical genre film. Depp, stepping back into the director's chair, throws Riccardo Scamarcio as Modi-a chaotic, sick chain-smoker constantly coughing-into a wild romp through war-torn Paris. He dodges cops, debates quitting art, and navigates a romance with Beatrice, all while his perpetually tipsy pals try to keep him grounded. It shouldn't succeed, but somehow, it manages.

Things really kick off before the climax when Modi squares off with the big-shot art dealer, Mr. Gangnat (Al Pacino). Modi, known for breaking rules (he even breaks a café window and is kinda forced into this meeting), flat-out refuses to sell his sculptor masterpiece, no matter the ludicrous offers. Earlier in the film, some bourgeois types had scoffed, telling Modi to "look at something less depressing" when he paints. But the man's a walking middle finger to compromise; the purist, he tells Gangnat to shove it, choosing art over money.

Just when I was ready to call this whole thing as below average, the finale hits. After all the "Jack Sparrow coded" antics, drunken brawls, silent-film homages, romantic bullfighting, Modi does the only thing left: he starts over. He trashes everything out his window (his pals scattering), his girl bails, and he returns to sculpting. As he starts from scratch, molding his vision, amplified by "Cathedrals" by Jump Little Children-one of my favorite songs (Trust me, if you get a chance, check out Jump Little Children's Magazine album)-it's just beautiful. A moment of pure redemption. That song alone probably bumped my rating from 2.5 to 3 stars. So, a masterpiece? Nah. But a fascinating, infuriating, occasionally good trainwreck? Mamma mia, absolutely.

If you watch it with preconceived notions about the actor or his personal life, you'll find more to complain about. But JD's directorial return is a wild, self-indulgent journey into bohemian Paris that's flawed, yet oddly unforgettable! It's by no means as terrible as the reviews claim, and while a bit generic, it still provides entertainment.

Modi is a wild adventure back to 1916 Paris.

I loved the music and upbeat pacing of three days of madness in the life of artist Amedeo Modigliani. Riccardo Scamarcio was born to play Amedeo Modigliani and authentically conveys the soul and passion of this profoundly misunderstood artist who was before his time. The cast of actors/actresses did an incredible job of transforming the story of Modigliani's art into a vivid portrait of his humanity.

I enjoyed this movie so much I want to see it again and loved the sets, scenery, and costume design. As an artist myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Every detail was a delight. Magnificat Johnny Depp!

The long-awaited Johnny Depp movie Modi. Three days on the wings of madness. Amadeo Modigliani is at the center, accompanied by Caim Soutine and Maurice Utrillo. The movie is rogged, grotesque, deeply personal, and Depp-esque. At one point, Tom Waits sings in Paris 1916. Everything is fine, the performance of the actors is wonderful, they make a great ensemble, but the feeling that this is a concert of old, prosperous rockers does not let go. The 32-year-old Modigliani is played by 45-year-old Ricardo Scamarcio, with two other actors to match. They all play like seasoned musicians would play the songs of their hungry youth. If they were ten years older, it would be more believable.

Dear Johnny, what a great film... and for so many reasons. It's 'real', it's from the heart, it's creative, beautiful to look at, superbly acted and directed... it's about the nature of art and life and craziness and war and love and painting... and so much more. Total investment in the characters right from the start. I loved the under-cranked black and white segments, and the music, the bar scenes, costumes, everything about it. It felt like a 'real' film, not just an overworked script with hackneyed phrases. These are real people. I feel I know so much more about Modigliani the person now. It's great that films like this are still made. No monsters, superheroes or car chases... just people that I would love to meet. People that actually 'live'. I will probably never meet you Johnny, but if I were to I'd say how wonderful I thought this film was. Thank you for making it.