A Reel Review: HOUSE OF GUCCI

In 1995, Italian businessman and former head of the Gucci fashion house Maurizio Gucci was gunned down in cold blood by a hitman…a hitman hired by his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani. The killing was the end of a tumultuous time for the worldwide company and for the Gucci family; a time filled with feuds, backstabbing, and hostile takeovers. All of this is dramatized in Ridley Scott’s HOUSE OF GUCCI. 

 

Directed by Ridley Scott and based on the book by Sara Gay Forden, HOUSE OF GUCCI follows the Gucci family, beginning with the romance of Maurizio (Adam Driver), and Patrizia (Lady Gaga). Their romance leads to an early feud as Maurizio’s father and co-head of the Gucci empire Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons), suspects Patrizia of just being after the money and social status. Maurizio becomes estranged from his father but bonds with his uncle Aldo (Al Pacino), the other co-owner of Gucci…whose idiot son Paolo (Jared Leto), has yet to prove himself to the family. 

 

For the most part, Patrizia is the driving force behind the story. She pushes Maurizio to take over the Gucci empire, and while her motivations are never quite clear (maybe she really loved him, maybe it was all about it money…we never really find out), it leads to decade after decade of family members turning on each other as they wrestle for control. The real hook of the film is the endless switching allegiances, for as the characters change, as does the audience; one minute we are rooting for Maurizio and/or Patrizia, and the next we are hating their greedy guts. 

 

Ridley Scott films a great looking movie, and keeps the pacing light and the film breezes by despite its 157-minute run-time. The changes in time are marked by pop music from each era (each right on the nose to the happenings), and the look and feel is perfect for every era…right down to the hairstyles and costumes. Shot on location in Rome and Italy, the country and its cities look great. Humor is timed nicely. 

 

Acting is superb although a little hammy in places. Lady Gaga is nothing short of outstanding and rules the film, and her chemistry with Adam Driver is bursting with emotion. Al Pacino is a laugh-a-minute, and Jeremy Irons is as cold as ice. Jared Leto vanishes into thick prosthetics but it doesn’t slow him down…although he gets a little too cartoonish now and then. Salma Hayek comes in as a tarot-card reader befriended by Patrizia and makes an impression. 

 

HOUSE OF GUCCI is ultimately a tragedy, ending in murder and the Gucci family losing control over the fashion empire that still bears their name. Greed-is-bad is the morality lesson, and although we’ve seen that before, here it really works thanks to some excellent performances and well-written character conflicts. This house is worth visiting. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it