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Both Genevieve and Francoise are wise to his charms, though the latter reckons that she's strong enough to cope with anything Picasso tries on. Thus, a few weeks later, she returns prepared to give herself totally to him, setting in motion a dance of devotion that will last almost a decade. Back home, the news that she's decided to commit herself to painting (rather than law school) outrages her father (Bob Peck). Livid at her flaunting of his authority, Francoise is thrown out onto the street and forced to move in with her more reasonable grandmother (Joan Plowright). To add to the confusion, Picasso demands that she move in with him, despite the fact that he still dabbles with another mistress Marie-Therese (Susannah Harker) and delights in torturing Dora.
Inevitably Francoise gives in, failing to heed the warnings of her grandmother and Picasso's faithful manservant. With his entourage, which sometimes contains Marie-Therese, Dora, assorted children and other hangers-on, they move to Vallauris in the South of France. There Francoise's will and independence become submerged by Picasso's dominance and voracious needs (he's more like a child than a man sometimes). Amazingly, she is forced to paint to survive, because Picasso gives her nothing of substance, even when their first child comes along. Various ghosts from Picasso's past, deranged first wife Olga (Jane Lapotaire), and future, Jacqueline (Diane Venora), surface but the sacrifices are apparently worth it for Francoise.
At first glance Surviving Picasso gives rise to the hope that it will be a tremendous film, an epic of passion, anger, desire, torment; all elements of his work. Unfortunately it quickly becomes apparent that the intent of Merchant and Ivory is to focus on just a single aspect of Picasso's life, almost to the exclusion of his art. When that hungry, eager look flashes in his eyes at the sight of a young woman, it's clear that his ravenous lust (initially for Francoise) is the centrepiece. Thus the film is nominally related from her point-of-view, through extensive voice-over. Unfortunately too little of her character is revealed to make it comprehensible or worth identifying with (that which is given is contradictory). All that's left behind is a mess of superficially sketched people and a movie that dismally fails to uncover their complexities, thoughts and reasons (for staying with Picasso mainly).
Throughout Surviving Picasso Hopkins gives a vibrant, energetic performance. Similar in appearance to Picasso, in a barrel-chested, balding way, his energy deserves a more complex vehicle. It really feels as though Hopkins is being constrained by the script and what it allows Picasso to do, rather than by any theatrical inadequacy of his own. Sadly, the same can't be said for McElhone with her weak and contradictory performance. From a position of strength (being able to leave her brutish father) she vacillates and fails to convince as Francoise. Far more interesting is Moore, spurned and condemned to bitterness, though she is given to little to work with (as are most of the supporting cast).
Somewhat perversely, the film stubbornly refuses to give us what we want, which is an angle on Picasso the genius (Francoise initially has an identical aim). Instead, there are tantalising glimpses of the artist at work (partly because Picasso's son refused permission to show any real paintings). Thus deprived, Surviving Picasso can only provide a shallow treatment of Picasso the womaniser and his spoilt, self-centred ways. Because the uniqueness of Picasso has been drained away, the central figure of the film could be anyone with similar misogynistic tendencies (making the way women cast off their free-will for him even more bizarre). Surviving Picasso just doesn't have anything enlightening to say about the great artist; a wasted opportunity.
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