An opening scene takes us into the studio of Alberto Giacometti (Geoffrey Rush) where American critic James Lord (Armie Hammer) has arrived for his first sitting.
Tucci lets us breathe in the atmosphere of his ramshackle home, a dilapidated, disorganised old stable in a Paris backstreet.
After the irascible, chain-smoking artist applies the finishing touches to one half-remembered bust, he finally gets round to the matter in hand.
As the portrait drags on for weeks we hear about the artist’s insecurities and his views on art and witness his very complicated love life.
But there’s very little plot, no character development and everything falls on its leading man.
Thankfully, Rush has never been better. It’s a small film built around a very big performance.