Directed by Ridley Scott and based on true events, House of Gucci follows the ambitious Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) as she romances Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) and marries her way into the dynastic Italian luxury label. The family business holds little allure for bookish Maurizio, and the real power is held by his father Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons) and his uncle Aldo (Al Pacino). If an outsider like Patrizia wants to be a true force at Gucci, she’ll have to pit the rest of the family against each other. Eventually, even Patrizia and Maurizio find themselves at odds, and her rage at him soon turns murderous.
After having missed out on Ridley Scott’s previous film this year, The Last Duel, I figured I should see this film, especially with the big star power it has. I don’t know that much about Gucci or the true events that this film focuses on so I was going in completely blind. I was interested in this film mostly for the cast and to maybe see Ridley Scott get back on the horse after not being able to deliver something really strong in a long time.
What I ended up getting was a film that was good but could have been better. As a drama based on true events, it is well made but has some issues that hold back the film from being more than just well made. I was expecting a lot more from this film based on what was presented but it didn’t always deliver.
What it did deliver is the one thing that makes this film worth watching and that is the performances. Everyone did an excellent job but the absolute standouts of this film were Lady Gaga and Adam Driver. These two were an excellent duo together on screen, as well as individually knocking it out of the park. Lady Gaga is absolutely fierce as Patrizia Reggiani, giving her all into the performance and having my complete attention all the way through. She was stunning and once again really shows how talented she is as an actress.
Adam Driver was also spectacular as the quiet and reserved Maurizio Gucci. We have seen Driver take on roles that had a lot of emotion unleashed but in this film we get to see him do a more quiet yet investing role that he absolutely nails. That combined with the excellent chemistry he shares with Lady Gaga shows that Driver is one of the best actors of our current generation who should not be overlooked.
When it comes to other performances everyone delivers, like the iconic Al Pacino who always manages to turn in a great performance even at his current age, alongside Jeremy Irons who takes a supporting role.
As for Jared Leto who plays Paolo Gucci, I honestly thought he was great and hilarious. I know some people who have seen the film felt negative or mixed on him, but I found him to be hugely entertaining and one of the most enjoyable parts of the film.
The performances were what truly carried this film as a whole because the narrative, while not terrible, wasn’t that great. When the film revolves around what happens with these individuals I was invested in it, but everything else I couldn’t care much about. The family drama elements are excellent but are held down by uninteresting and unnecessary extended scenes that could have been made shorter or cut altogether.
I have no issue with long films as long as what I am given is fully investing and doesn’t drag. With House of Gucci there was a lot that I didn’t really care for and there was a lot that dragged on when it didn’t need to. There were also a lot of times I felt the film jumped so suddenly from place to place and skipped over important details, leaving me confused on what was happening and what year these events were taking place. Critics and people complain about Eternals jumping around but I at least understood what was going on in every scene even when it was jumping around, unlike this film. It almost feels like there were some pivotal scenes missing, and what we got was extended scenes that you’d see in the deleted scene section all stuck together.
In terms of technical elements the film looks great, in terms of cinematography though it could have done a bit more to stand out visually. Given that this film focuses on a brand associated with fashion you’d expect the film to go a bit more energetic with its style but it instead goes for a more grounded approach. It’s not a bad thing but I don’t feel it entirely matches with the industry being portrayed in the film.
The camera work is good, as are all of the well-made sets. The film also featured a great soundtrack, though no memorable score to make note of.
So the film does have issues and it definitely feels too long for what it is, but I still recommend it for the performances alone. They were what made the film worth watching for the most part and if that is all you were looking forward to then you will be very pleased. But if you were looking for something with a bit more focus and more interesting things going on outside of the drama elements then this film might not be up your alley. I’m going to give House of Gucci a B.
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