The House of Gucci is the unbelievable true story of the iconic fashion family and how an opportunistic woman, played with electric panache by Lady Gaga, married her way into the iconic family by marrying Adam Driver’s Maurizio Gucci.
Immediately obsessed with making a difference and “bringing Gucci into the future,” Patrizia Reggiani (Gaga) sets her sights on the family company that has been the same way for years. She and Maurizio locked eyes at a luxe party and a serendipity love affair commenced that would result in their marriage and children.
But as time went by, the romance between the two—as well as the professional advice that Reggiani has ad nauseam offered her husband—begins to sour. As their relationship goes through some major changes, Reggiani starts to evolve into a woman who knows that she sees her future and it involved her back into a corner. The fact that she was ruthless, ambitious, and unscrupulous certainly didn’t help dissolve the Gucci marriage into a peaceful landscape of respect. On the contrary.
Reggiani had pushed her husband, who was as happy as he ever was in his life working in Patrizia’s father’s blue-collar company. But Patrizia wanted more, much more.
The family Gucci, at first, saw right through her. But a powerful uncle Aldo Gucci (Al Pacino) had a feeling that she had something to offer the family business that it sorely needed. He took to her and thus, our story extends to take us inside the exclusive and luxe life of the family Gucci.
But there is a real-life murder for hire by Patrizia at the heart of this story and how we arrive at that point of the narrative is organic, especially with the performances by every member of Ridley Scott’s second solid film this year (The Last Night). Driver is firmly the Italian heir who questions his own path. Pacino doesn’t chew the scenery, instead, he trades that in for an intimate portrait of a man clinging to his empire while having one eye on the future of his company and most importantly—his legacy. This sets up a severe conflict between Maurizio and his father that will ring throughout the entire film.
Scott has a firm command of the material and handles it like he intimately knows every nook and cranny, every millisecond of this film he wants to make, and exactly how he wants to tell its story.
One can sense the opulence dripping through every frame. The production design by Arthur Max puts the audience firmly is put firmly in the Gucci world. Every luxurious soaked corner of it. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski (News of the World, The Martian) has managed to craft a palette of brilliant colors and lights, darkness, and a world that is unique Gucci.
Even in his eighties, the legendary helmer has firm control over his artform that is exploring a true story that most people are not aware and as we mentioned this is his second film this year. House of Gucci is firmly a Scott production, what with its shortcuts and freedom for his actors to push the envelope. He also has a firm vision for what this story should be, and it is 100-percent his.
Speaking of that envelope getting ripped open, the performance of Jared Leto has been splitting opinions—much like the film itself. It does feel a bit cartoon character-ish, but there is no question he completely loses himself in the role. Does his accent feel like a stereotype? Kind of. There are moments where he is wholly that soul and there are others where it feels like he’s just “imitating” an Italian who has felt slighted by his family. The actor’s Joker in Suicide Squad was ridiculed by critics and audiences alike and in some ways, I believe people saw this it was such a stretch after a downright terrible performance, the knives were already out.
Driver is his usual sensational self. His accent is mostly there, but there are a few moments where it seems he falls “a bit” off the character. His other half, Gaga as Reggiani is a hurricane. It’s a sensational turn, but I agree with the Academy leaving her off the list of Best Actress nominees for this past year. She is fierce. She is electric. She is Gaga.
Pacino and Irons are also always awesome, and House of Gucci is no different. Of late, Pacino has had a habit of chewing the scenery. That is defiantly the case here as his turn is pitch-perfect and his warmth, particularly towards Reggiani feels as organic as can be. Irons and Pacino play Gucci brothers and although their relationship is as solid as siblings can be, their vision for Gucci’s future differs and provides the dramatic tension within the already tense family dynamic.
House of Gucci is based on the New York Times best-selling novel, The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden. As such, there is a grounding to Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna’s script.
Since she is the greatest thing about House of Gucci, when it comes to three bonus features, The Movie Mensch recommends commencing with The Lady of the House, which firmly focuses on Gaga and how she put everything emotionally and physically into the role. In fact, she went method for tackling Reggiani and it was reported that she remained in that character for four months. It shows. Would not want to be on her bad side.
The Rise of the House of Gucci: Masking Of is a ten-minute true behind-the-scenes featurette. The video explores how the entire movie even got going and green-lit. Then it shifts to a close-up look at the script and the active involvement of Scott. It touches on Scott’s direction. Some might want more of that, but at this point, I think we can collectively say that the man is a stellar filmmaker and that is so the case with House of Gucci. There’s also a nice bit on how Leto physically transformed into Paolo Gucci.
The costumes are pristine and paint the Gucci life and lifestyle impeccably. Styling House of Gucci is a too short (5:26) but does a solid job of introducing the viewer to not simply the costumes, but also the makeup, the props, jewelry, and, truly fascinatingly, the set design. 0p, 5:26): Exploring wardrobe, makeup, set design, and jewelry.
Film Grade: B
Bonus Features: B