SALVATORE: SHOEMAKER OF DREAMS – A Review by John Strange
When you talk about amazing designer shoes, Ferragamo is one of the first names that comes to mind. I jumped at the chance to see this documentary about Salvatore Ferragamo’s life!
Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams tells the story using recordings, historical photos of the people involved, and interviews of contemporary celebrities such as Martin Scorsese and Manolo Blahnik.
Salvatore showed a talent for shoe design early when he designed and created pairs of shoes for two of his sisters’ communions. He was about 7 years old..
Salvatore lived in a time when cobblers were considered very low class. His family surprised him, I think, when they not only accepted his desire to make shoes but helped him to expand his knowledge.
His move to America at 17 led to a major landmark in his life when he moved to Santa Barbara, California and found work with a movie studio making the shoes and boots for their films. The quality of footwear led to many of the film’s stars becoming longtime friends with the designer.
The story of this man is one of a person whose talent and desire to succeed are tempered with his love of family.
There are a lot of captions as many of the family members speak only Italian. The story does a great job of revealing the stages of Ferragamo’s career. The only problem I had with this film is the ending which just sort of stops and then gives us a brief visual history or something of some of the man’s designs.
It is this abrupt ending that reduces my rating to 4.8-stars.
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Manolo Blahnik, Grace Coddington, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Christian Louboutin, Suzy Menkes, Deborah Nadoolman, Martin Scorsese, Michael Stuhlbarg
MPAA Rating: PG (for smoking and a suggestive reference)
Selig Rating: 4.8 Stars
Runtime: 120 Min.
Release Date: 11/18/2022
Local Release Locations: Angelika Film Center & Café – Dallas, Angelika Film Center & Café – Plano
Language: Italian, English, French
Movie Site: SALVATORE SHOEMAKER OF DREAMS Official Site
Trailer: SALVATORE SHOEMAKER OF DREAMS Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
