When Patrizia Reggiani, an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel their legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately…murder.
Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), a humble girl working for her father’s company, has a chance run-in with the infamous Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) at a party. They eventually fall in love and get married but Maurizio’s father, Rodolpho (Jeremy Irons) sees that his son’s new bride is only after their money and cuts him off. Patrizia then makes nice with Maurizio’s uncle, Aldo (Al Pacino), and his son, Paolo (Jared Leto), in order to reinsert herself into the high-class Gucci lifestyle.
First, I must address the biggest detriment to this film – the pacing. Many scenes I felt were awkward and went on for a beat too long and ended with one of the characters’ not quite knowing what to say. The awkwardness sometimes though did have its merits. It added some humor to the film, though I will say the movie takes itself a bit too seriously and I wish it was actually campier overall.
The performances across-the-board were also good. Jared Leto is a standout as a comedic relief character. Honestly, it felt like he thought he was acting in a different movie as his performance is so silly, but he made the film memorable and provided a lot of laughs. Lady Gaga also impressed with her second big-screen performance. Her character is manipulative, but also a bit outlandish and possessive. I can see her getting another nomination for Best Actress at the upcoming Oscars. I also can’t fail to mention Adam Driver and Al Pacino. Both did stellar work and embodied their characters perfectly.
The plot is interesting, but it does take a bit of time to unfold. While I am familiar with the Gucci brand, I have never purchased a Gucci item, nor did I know the story about the family that started the brand. There were a lot of crimes committed, but I think the film kind of glosses over the tax fraud and other money-related crimes. Other than that, the movie is full of scheming and backstabbing, though the betrayals were lacking in emotional impact.
The film is also extremely well shot and I think Ridley Scott did an adequate job of directing the film. I think besides the messy pacing, the tone is also lost in its execution. Like I mentioned earlier, the film takes itself too seriously, but the characters and dialogue can be quite campy.
Overall, I would say “House of Gucci” is worth a watch for its compelling story and star-powered performances. Not everyone will find merit in the film, and it definitely has its faults, but I had a good time watching it.
In Theaters Wednesday, November 24th
