About the film (courtesy of United Artists Releasing):
Inspired by the shocking true story of the family empire behind the Italian fashion house 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.
What keeps House of Gucci from reaching the upper echelon of films released in 2021 is Ridley Scott’s inability wrangle his runtimes down to a more palatable consumption level. Looking over the feature films Scott has directed over the last three plus decades (20 including this one), only three fell into the sub-two-hour category, and then only be a few minutes. I’m all for getting the complete story as long as the excessiveness has good entertainment cause. His last film, The Last Duel, released just a month ago, shared a similar affliction, making it more of a chore than a treat.
The bloated 158 minute runtime takes away from an otherwise well-acted film with a compelling story that’s almost too unbelievable to be true. House of Gucci has a strong cast with headliners such as Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Jack Huston, Salma Hayek and Al Pacino. Two of these magnificent actors stand out above the rest.
Lady Gaga gives a performance that comes close to the one she gave in A Star Is Born (2018) in which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. While her accent may rub a few purists the wrong way, it does not diminish the brilliance she brings to the screen. Her passion (both good and bad) is felt in almost every scene.
The other actor that deserves a much deserved nod is for the barely recognizable Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci. Leto really leans in and goes over the top in his performance as one of the more colorful members of the Gucci family. If you didn’t know that Leto was cast in this film, he might be very difficult to spot. As far as supporting actors go, his work shouldn’t go unnoticed when it’s time to start talking awards. Everyone else was good, it’s just that these two separated themselves from the pack.
The music is on point and very much helps set the mood for the ongoings in the 1980s. For those of us that appreciate the genre, House of Gucci will bring back some fond memories. Not to be outdone by the music is the fashion. I have to imagine that the set designers and wardrobe personnel were in absolute heaven when it came time to assemble all that was needed.
House of Gucci is a good film to see this Thanksgiving weekend, especially if you don’t remember or are unaware of what went down over the years with this family of fashion royalty. It’s definitely movie-making material. Be prepared for some lulls, but for the most part I feel that Ridley Scott does do the Gucci family justice in his telling of the family’s exploits. You can catch all of the scandalous behavior only on the big screens this Wednesday, with early showings starting Tuesday evening.
