If Looks Could Thrill

Michael Douglas is one of the last great classically dressed Hollywood stars.

He tends to wear Canali in his films, and so Canali picked him for one of theirs — wearing, of course, a blue two-button Canali suit with a birds-eye motif, blue silk shirt and navy tie (noted by our friends at The Rake).

According to Canali, the 200 Steps interview series “is an ongoing film series featuring creative men and their methods, inspired by the 200 Steps it takes for us to produce one of our Italian-made suits.”

Canali fabrics, of course, are some of the most lush fabrics around, making for some of the most luscious suits around, which, coupled with their classic sensibilities, make for some of the most elegant fits around.

It’s difficult to understate the relevance of Canali to the modern suit, in the way that it’s difficult to understate the relevance of Michael Douglas on the social imaginary of the last couple of decades.

Part of that relevance comes from his dedication to his craft — he’s got serious acting chops. Canali obviously has a lot of respect for him, as is clear in their description for the video: “Hollywood legend Michael Douglas explores his craft through the medium of the entrance, emerging as a series of different characters through a surreal, floating doorway. Encountering a range of imaginary scenarios, he expounds upon acting with inimitable style, discussing lies, movies, comedy and the art of doing nothing.”

The video is actually a rather remarkable piece of work. It’s a post-modern take on the concept of the interview, in which the interviewee is watching himself being interviewed — a comment on the notion of truth as performance. In the video, Michael Douglas reacts to himself speaking, as he watches and listens to what the other Michael Douglas is saying.

The opening sequence — where he peeps through the eyehole to watch himself speak — is a spectacularly innovative opening that upends the entire concept of the interview, and puts into perspective the subtle truth that even when one is being honest, one is acting.