Directed by:
Ridley ScottCinematography:
Dariusz WolskiComposer:
Harry Gregson-WilliamsCast:
Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Jack Huston, Salma Hayek, Alexia Murray, Vincent Riotta, Gaetano Bruno, Camille Cottin (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
House of Gucci is inspired by the shocking true story of the family empire behind the Italian fashion house of Gucci. Spanning three decades of love, betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately murder, we see what a name means, what it’s worth, and how far a family will go for control. (Universal Pictures UK)
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Reviews (12)
While many American directors struggle to create something truly great or original these days, 84-year-old Ridley Scott managed to do it twice in one year. House of Gucci might seem like just a fashion drama on the surface, but there's a lot more to it. The film is packed with extravagant performances, a dark tale of an Italian family, confident direction, and a fantastic atmosphere that immerses you in Italy. The period-perfect soundtrack, including tracks by the legendary Giorgio Moroder, adds to the film's appeal. Sure, some moments in the script fall flat, but the cast more than makes up for it. Lady Gaga dominates the screen, Al Pacino reminds you why he’s a legend from the old gangster films, Jared Leto is almost unrecognizable in his role, and Adam Driver brings a stern intensity to his character. There's definitely plenty to enjoy here.
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A star-studded mob movie without mobsters in a thoroughly engaging delivery by Ridley Scott. When I wrote two days ago about how much I was moved by Last Night in Soho and how few films manage to do that, I was kind of hoping that House of Gucci would be another one. Fortunately, it was. This riveting saga benefits from a stellar ensemble cast as much as it does from Scott's understated yet thoroughly engaging direction. Lady Gaga will be forever a safe bet for me after this performance, Adam Driver confirms that after John Williams's music he is the best thing the new Star Wars has brought us, Al Pacino is classic Al, obviously happy to get a proper role, and I had a great time watching his art in the cinema again (the "No!" scene is unforgettable). Jared Leto doesn't get lost even under the (excellent) make-up, which is good, Jeremy Irons and Salma Hayek have probably the smallest roles of all, but that doesn't mean they don't rightfully enjoy them. One of the films of the year, hands down.
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It's at once so insanely overwrought and yet so cheap and fragmented that it's reminiscent of a sulkfest in which the creative team lost funding for a project, but still decided to finish it with the help of two hundred and fifty Spanish investors folding themselves into a straw man. This also gives me some uncontrollable sympathy for the film, because (probably wrongly) it feels somehow "resilient". If it weren't for the swift Last Duel, one might even offer to mention that directors in their 80s simply lose a certain visual sense out of complacency (see Wajda, Polanski, Bellochio, or Konchalovsky), such that a film that's called freaking House of Gucci lacks above all else style and elegance. And yet it's helmed by a director who, when he devoted a two-second shot to the seated emeritus mobsters during one court scene in American Gangster, just from their body position, clothing, and layout in the shot screamed that these gentlemen mean business. Here, it's like every once in a while no one really knows what to do, so they deal with it in their own way. Jared Leto, whom no one told he wasn't in a Bruno Dumont film, Lady Gaga aiming for the Proudfoot from Bag End Award (presented at Bilbo's 111th birthday), and the writers ticking off the necessary scenes in a high society life story (crying a single tear, a drunk wife terrorizing her husband, the husband slamming her against the wall). As a result, the film feels oddly artificial (thanks in part to the ugly digital camera) and almost everything in it feels like it's happening for applause. However, you can really see some effort, commitment and directorial ideas, but it all feels oddly disjointed and staged.
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This movie balances right on that line between three and four stars at this point. I was entertained by the entire one-hundred and sixty-four minutes of millionaire chess and backstabbing, plus it introduced a story I had no idea about before, and the ensemble cast is absolutely amazing, no question about it. I enjoyed the scenes with Irons, Leto, and Pacino the most (the latter, in particular, steals the show a lot, and I am glad he got so much screen time). I was slightly distracted by the variance in Italian accents with the actors (Driver, Irons, and Pacino were restrained X Gaga’s and Leto’s was totally extravagantly over the top). I found the movie a little disappointing because Ridley Scott had so much room to tell the overall story evenly in the space of two and a half hours. Despite that, he spent more time on some of the less crucial parts, which made the ending feel rushed by comparison. Therefore, the way the final scene is connected to what precedes it lacks any convincing explanation of how it came about and where the participants went wrong. Too bad, I found it all very interesting otherwise.
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Ridley Scott has a weaker moment and although this film is not completely bad, in my eyes it's his weakest work in the last five years. The story is quite interesting, but the execution is a bit bland and uninteresting. We follow the Gucci family and I was kind of hoping it would be a gangster movie, but it's more of a drama. The acting is solid. Adam Driver as Scott's new tagalong is decent, Lady Gaga is solid, Jared Leto was bit too theatrical for my taste, but the make-up was unreal, and Al Pacino was okay, except for the Italian accent, that bothered me a bit. I found the direction a bit cold and for the exorbitant 150 minute running time, the film offered very few interesting or attractive scenes. I didn't even care much about the fashion. Considering the subject matter, the actors and the director, I was expecting a film at least a level higher in all respects, but I got through it without too much trouble and I think three stars is adequate.Story 3/5, Action 0/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 1/5, Fun 3/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 2/5, Actors 4/5. 6/10.
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