★★☆☆☆
In the depths of the fashion industry, one brand stands above all in terms of quality, but for Gucci, it wasn’t an easy climb to the top.
As I sit here in a tracksuit and hoodie, it is clear that Gucci isn’t exactly what surrounds me on a daily basis. Director Ridley Scott may believe that, as a millennial, I don’t want to be taught about anything "unless it is through a mobile phone" but a movie with Lady Gaga and Adam Driver can only be good. Right?
Lady Gaga plays the protagonist, down on her luck, who bumps into a wealthy and famous man, falls in love and gets married. It's not all rosy though, as we watch their love fall apart due to struggles with fame and the pressure of living up to their family’s expectations. A Star is Born and House of Gucci are pretty similar in that respect. The central relationship in Gucci however, replaces Bradley Cooper with Adam Driver - it is still just as intense.
The story doesn’t stop there, with double, triple, and potentially even quadruple crossing at certain points, the interweaving story of House of Gucci is incredibly interesting. Adam Driver and Lady Gaga are great as opposing forces, and the events that lead to the finale would be outlandish and unbelievable if they weren’t the literal true story of what happened. House of Gucci benefits from telling the tale of a true event although, an argument could be made that it might have benefited from a cinematic touch-up to add a bit of extra flair to what is essentially a dramatic reconstruction of true events.
That criticism isn’t to say the performances are anything less than good, Lady Gaga is pretty good, Adam Driver is consistently good and Al Pacino is potentially a contender for an Oscar. The same can't be said for Jeremy Irons with a half English and half Italian accent and Jared Leto’s attempt at voice sounds - the whole dedication to the true point really begins to stumble. For a movie so dedicated to, and passionate about Italy, it is certainly an interesting note that they didn’t choose a more Italian cast. Let’s face it, names get people in the seats and if the movie was in anything other than broken Italian/English, it would get half as much attention.
On a brighter note, the soundtrack, while sometimes distracting and weirdly mixed, is mostly top-tier bangers, with a scene featuring the song ‘Faith’ by Geroge Michael being a personal favourite.
Lastly, it was just impossible to get behind any of the characters. By the end of the movie, there was no character that the audience really cared about the outcome of, with each person deserving of their fate. Honestly, the Gucci brand itself is the only success story from the end, but considering it’s the only powerhouse remaining, there may be a bit of bias.
Overall, this movie disappointed me. I was properly looking forward to it, without knowing a single iota about the brand apart from the fact I’ll never be able to afford any of it. But afterwards, I couldn’t dispel the fact that this movie would have made a great Netflix documentary series, instead of a potentially offensive movie, not only to the Gucci family but to the Italian accent in general. Let’s hope Chris Pratt can redeem it in the upcoming Mario movie.
The cast of House of Gucci
Director: Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien)
Writers:
Becky Johnston (The Prince of Tides, Seven Years in Tibet)
Roberto Bentivegna (Debut)
Cast:
Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story, Star Wars)
Al Pacino (The Godfather, Scarface)
Jeremy Irons (Lion King, Dead Ringers)
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Suicide Squad)
Salma Hayek (Frida, Eternals)
Running Time: 2h 38m
Genre: Crime Drama
