I don’t know about you, but I think solitude is a gift. I love going to the movies alone, especially for films that may not be popular among my friends.
House of Gucci is Ridley Scott’s latest feature film. This director in particular has a bit of a trend; if one movie is a masterpiece, the next movie is bound to be… something else. Based on how ‘The Final Duel’ went, I’ll admit I was a little nervous to see ‘House of Gucci.’ However, I am pleased to say the film did not disappoint me. Like any work, it had its downsides too, which will be addressed later on.
The movie is based on a book, ‘The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed’ by Sara Gay Forden. The book is based on true events, events that were largely publicized in the news at the time and continue to be topics of speculation today. So if you don’t want a spoiler for a major real-world event that happened decades ago, you may be better off reading a different review. But we’ll discuss that later.
‘House of Gucci’ is a 2021 drama starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jared Leto and Jeremy Irons. In addition, the film features performances by Salma Hayak and Jack Huston. In other words, to say the cast was star-studded is the understatement of a century. Aside from Gucci being a recognized international brand, a lot of the appeal to go see the movie comes from the desire to see so many excellent actors working together.
The story begins with the end, the camera gently panning on shots surrounding Maurizio Gucci riding his bicycle on the last day of his life. Then it cuts back to the events that lead up to it, jumping to the night he met Patrizia Reggiani at a party. The series of events continues as history dictates it, more or less true to the actual facts as they happened. Naturally, some things were dramatized. Other things, like private conversations and the like, had to be filled in with the use of some creative liberty. Overall, I’d give it a 7/10 in terms of historical accuracy.
First and foremost, I want to express the joy I felt when I looked over the casting. A huge percentage of people playing Italians are, in fact, Italian. As a Latina who always feels a pang of sadness when an effort to cast Latinos in Latin roles is not made, my heart soared when I saw an effort to cast Italians in Italian roles was made. Representation matters and this is a better effort than most filmmakers to date have been willing to make.
In terms of performance, the reviews are mixed. Al Pacino as Aldo Gucci and Jeremy Irons as patriarch Rodolfo Gucci gave their consistently solid performances we’ve all come to be accustomed to. People were unsure of Adam Driver and Lady Gaga in the leading roles, as one is more prominently known for Star Wars while the other for music. Rest assured, Driver was methodic in his delivery, bringing Maurizio Gucci to life through his performance. Lady Gaga, too, did an excellent job with her role. I am aware she has received some mixed reviews before, particularly with her role in the hit TV series ‘American Horror Story.’ However, her work ethic is undeniable. In ‘House of Gucci,’ she shines as Patrizia Reggiani. Her acting, accent, and personality added touches to the role are not only true to the woman she represents, but compliments the performance of her costars quite nicely.
That being said, it’s time to talk about Jared.
Jared Leto is an accomplished movie star whose work I happen to enjoy quite a lot. However, he has seemed to find himself in a bit of a rut in recent years. Ever since his role as the Joker in ‘Suicide Squad,’ Mr. Leto just can’t seem to hit the nail on the head. But I, ever loyal, was truly rooting for redemption as the eccentric Paolo Gucci. Instead, I was embarrassed.
Leto’s performance seemed profoundly out of place compared to everyone else’s. It pains me to say this, but it felt like an Italian caricature. To make matters worse, his performance didn’t seem to be even remotely true to Paolo’s nature. Look up interviews of Paolo Gucci. I promise you, you would not be able to tell Leto was attempting to portray him just based on that. We were rooting for you, Jared! We were all rooting for you. Or at least… I was.
In conclusion, if you love fashion, drama, modern history and shooting down cheating husbands, I HIGHLY recommend this film. I’d give it a B overall. It’s a pleasant movie if you’re not opposed to dealing with slower pacing, and I may give in and buy a DVD copy. Take that for what you will.
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