Film Review: A family at war in the House of Gucci

Ridley Scott’s telling of the highly anticipated true story, House of Gucci focuses on the unravelling of the fashion empire.

House of Gucci is a story of betrayal and ambition that has caused a stir with the Gucci descendants and in the movie world, with Ridley Scott’s take on the family behind the fashion empire.

There was a lot of hype around the release of this film because of the shocking story and the accolade of actors, however, even with a critic rating of 61 per cent and an audience rating of 83 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, I’m not sure the movie lived up to the high expectations.

The story focuses on the highly ambitious Patrizia Reggiani, played by singer and A Star is Born actor Lady Gaga, who joined the family when she married Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Last Jedi). It’s also based on the 2000 nonfiction book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed.

Patrizia comes from humble beginnings but rocks the Gucci family with her increasingly determined plans for the Italian fashion empire, causing a spiral of betrayal, decadence and revenge.

House of Gucci wasn’t as dramatic as I expected and, at two and a half hours long, it can feel quite drawn out. However, the styling and soundtrack are great, from Blondie to George Michael, it really encapsulates the eras.

The performances from Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek and Jared Leto are stand-out (Leto is unrecognisable in this movie!) Gaga really immersed herself into the role, speaking only in a Northern Italian accent even when cameras weren’t rolling and admitting she “put my entire lifetime into her” – and it shows, the actors carry this film.

With regards to the true story behind the movie, the heirs of Aldo Gucci – who ran the fashion house for 33 years until the mid-1980s – said in a statement that they were unhappy with the lack of consultation by film-makers, as well as their portrayal as “thugs, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them.”

This is a slightly ridiculous drama about a real-life family, business and a “legacy worth killing for” that unravels before your eyes with the rise and fall of Patrizia, Maurizio, Aldo, Rodolfo and Paulo that ultimately ends in murder… and a clairvoyant.

Watch the trailer: 

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