We would have liked more from “Marc by Sofia” The documentary presented at Venice82 does not delve deeply into the friendship between the designer and the author.

Marc by Sofia uses the proper names of its protagonists as its title, designer Marc Jacobs and director-screenwriter Sofia Coppola. Using the names of public figures, creating an immediate sense of familiarity, gave the audience the illusion of accessing a more intimate dimension of the artist. A Jacobs whose rise began in the mid-Nineties and continued steadily, despite and especially thanks to some setbacks along the way. These very setbacks allowed him to meet none other than one of his best friends in the entertainment industry, with whom there have been occasional collaborations over time. However, it seems the documentary delivers less than expected, veering into familiar and conventional territory when considering the project’s execution.

It is true that Marc by Sofia offers excellent service to fans and the fashion community, who can discover directly from the designer’s words how his creative process unfolds, driven by constant influences and stimuli, sometimes marked by decisions made at the last minute. But what we would have liked to uncover about the personal side, and especially about his relationship with the trusted Coppola, remains superficial, as if there was no real intent to portray an intimate picture of a character and a friendship that has navigated decades. It feels like a missed opportunity, given that it’s not every day you get to interview and work with your best friend—the same friend who, for the night of her Oscar win, even wore one of his dresses, namely the famous purple satin slip dress by Louis Vuitton, designed specifically by Jacobs and worn by the director during the Lost in Translation awards ceremony.

Even the refined touch that characterizes Sofia Coppola’s portfolio seems to give way to a stylistic and narrative approach more focused on evocations and vintage imagery, pieced together like a patchwork of styles and references spanning music, cinema, and fashion, but which fail to convey the distinctive taste that makes her recognizable. In fact, the most interesting aspect is precisely this departure by the director from such an identifiable signature, giving way to a freer and more reckless storytelling and editing style. Past and present merge through home videos and frames, Polaroids, and the lens’s gaze peering through fabrics and sequins. The elegant rigor that underpins the director’s stories is absent, but there is perhaps a desire to return to the boldness and disorder of their youth, which over time has paved the way for their distinctive signatures.

As the camera delves into Marc Jacobs’ daily life, stealing glimpses of fabrics chosen for the next fashion week and featuring pins reminiscent of the beloved and timeless Elizabeth Taylor, Marc by Sofia is a collection of historical facts, tributes to Bob Fosse, and little more. These are images we might find on our Instagram feed, making them comforting to watch on screen, but they add little to what was already known about the designer, even in relation to his friend Sofia.