House of Gucci - Review
This image broke the internet. Image: Universal Pictures.
Per my last review of a movie by Ridley Scott, the man has done everything from Sci-Fi classics to thrillers to comedies. He is 78 years old, and has entered the “Why the fuck not”-phase of his career, as evident by some of his recent projects (The Martian. The Counselor. Raised by Wolves).
Now, House of Gucci is part of his filmography and yeah, he obviously does not really give a fuck anymore. Does he need to? Not really, but a bit more care would have made his latest a more coherent viewing experience. As it stands, it’s a funny, but simultaneously disparaging watch, where every actor appears to think they are in a completely different type of movie. And he underplays the drama and camp that should go hand in hand with one of the most iconic Italian high fashion houses in the world.
The actual family history of the Gucci’s is filled with some horrible events: backstabbing, hostile takeovers, corporate mismanagement and an assassination (this all happened in the short period of around 30 years).
In the hands of a deft filmmaker, this could have made a gripping thriller or drama. In the hands of Ryan Murphy, this could have become a camp classic. In the hands of Ridley Scott, it is everything and nothing.
Lady Gaga acts her heart out as Patrizia Reggiani, the woman who has a large part in Gucci’s undoing, balancing moments of high camp with ice cold stares that hopefully will result in a few award nominations because she absolutely carries the movie on her back. Adam Driver underplays, portraying Maurizio Gucci, a man who becomes what he hated about his family, with a solemn boringness that contrasts too much with Lady Gaga’s powerhouse performance. His turn becomes bizarre, when he suddenly starts displaying energy in the fourth act. Al Pacino and Jared Leto (whose performance has been written about plenty) as father-son duo Aldo and Paolo Gucci, are definitely on the same wavelength, which is great because they share a lot of scenes. And interestingly enough, their performances are so over-the-top that even when they hit the immovable brick wall that is Adam Driver, it is still entertaining.
Only Jeremy Irons, playing Rodolfo Gucci, a former movie star who wallows in his fancy villa, walks away with the right amount of nonchalance, dignity and camp. He actually understood the assignment.
Honestly, House of Gucci is more baffling than anything. Not actively bad, but it does not jive. You can have fun with it, and it is a great movie to play a drinking game with. But it is also less than the sum of its parts, which is a shame because have you seen the trailers?
These promised a propulsive, action-packed fashion show with camp galore.
Kudos to the marketing team! Fantastic job! Give them all the awards! The movie managed to gross 126 million Dollars in the middle of a global pandemic and I am partially convinced, all the word-of-mouth about Jared Leto’s performance had a part in it.
(Box office lessons for 2021: people show up if it is Spider-Man and when the trailer is great).
I am winging and in light of all this talent, I think it is justified. But I ended up having a good time. Just like Ridley Scott, I decided to not give a fuck and then it clicked. I might have been the only one chuckling along whenever Jared Leto opened his mouth. Or when Lady Gaga was sending a death stare at anyone. Or appreciated the moments, when the movie turns great for a few minutes and you see what could have been.
Also, for a movie about one of the most premier luxury fashion brands, the fashion is quite bad.
