House of Gucci is the latest film from Ridley Scott, his second this year alone, following The Last Duel not too long ago. Written by Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna, adapting the Sara Gay Forden book, The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed, the film follows, as you’d guess, the titular family during a tumultuous period in not only their business, but in their family relations. It focuses specifically on the relationship between Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) and a lower class but ambitious woman named Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), who helps set the family on a course of both destruction and success.
I’ll start off by saying I loved the film, which is astonishing considering there’s now two Ridley Scott movies that are pretty much set on being among my favorite films of 2021. That said, I can see why some might be a bit put off by the film. This is Ridley Scott having fun, and the thing about Ridley Scott having “fun” is that his idea of fun is basically the equivalent of that Twitter meme of the guy leering through a window with a shirt reading “sicko,” as he says “yes, haha, yes!” While there are exceptions, his sense of humor is more cynical, more trashy, more mean as opposed to leaning on typical crowd pleaser beats. And that vibe is 100% my jam.
A lot of the faults that can be thrown at this film are all pretty much the same reasons I had such a blast with it. I love how it feels like you’re getting three movies in one. The first part being an adorkable rom-com as we follow the meet-cute and early stages of Maurizio and Patrizia’s relationship. The second part is an almost farcical look at the dynamics of a wealthy family. And of course, the final part is a straight up dark thriller. And while it may not necessarily weave through these varying tones with grace, it is still done with precision and purpose, and it really made the film super engaging.
On top of that, you have the performances, which often seems like every actor was instructed to do a very different Italian accent. It’s quite ridiculous a lot of the times, but the film is very much aware of itself and what it’s doing. Once Jared Leto pops on the screen as Maurizio’s cousin Paolo Gucci, he basically plays the character like Fredo by way of Mario. Is it a good performance? Honestly, it’s hard to judge considering the knowingly cheeky tone throughout the film, but it’s a deeply entertaining one. And everyone else is on point as well. Lady Gaga has this sense of determination that is steeped in every stare and movement. Adam Driver is reliably great and endearing before having his character go through a shift. And Jeremy Irons is great in just a handful of scenes as Maurizio’s father, Rodolfo Gucci.
Scott naturally brings his slick but methodical sensibilities, working with his usual crew, cinematographer, Dariusz Wolski, editor, Claire Simpson, and production designer, Arthur Max, among others. Despite being set in the world of high fashion, it has a dreary look, which reflects something I noticed in 2017’s All The Money In The World, which had a similar look, and really committed to the idea of presenting the world of the ultra-rich as something ghoulish and borderline alien. He doubles down on that here, presenting these lavish homes that the Gucci family surround themselves in as isolating and miserable.
If there are any issues that I have with House Of Gucci, it’s that the final act can feel a bit rushes at times. And there’s a strange thing in the text that comes up before the credits telling us about the fates of certain characters, in which one character is revealed to have passed prior to the time we end on. It’s an odd choice, though understandable considering it would be harder to create a more streamlined narrative if everything was included. Aside from that, I had such a good time with this film, I was cackling for so much of the film, and to be clear, not in a mocking fashion, but rather joining in on the way the filmmakers designed this story to be told, constantly flirting with full on camp. It’s a genuinely funny movie that just so happens to deal in some grizzly subject matter, and as someone who didn’t know a lot about this story beforehand, I was hooked almost immediately, and was firmly in the hands of the filmmakers as they guided me through this strange and wild ride. It’s a long film, but if you’re able to vibe with it, the time flies by, and despite the length, I can totally see myself revisiting this. I would definitely recommend checking this out, especially since many of you flaked on The Last Duel.
House Of Gucci is now out in theaters.