'House of Gucci' Review: An Inconsistent, Lifeless Effort
As Ridley Scott's second feature film this year, ‘House of Gucci’ proves that quantity does not equal quality.
Jared Leto, Adam Driver, Lady Gaga and Al Pacino in ‘House of Gucci’
There is no way to describe the feeling of witnessing a disappointing film from a cinematic juggernaut such as director Ridley Scott. The acclaimed filmmaker has made of some the most renowned, successful films of all time, breaking into multiple genres and crafted spectacles that have wowed audiences for over half a century. But there is another side to this man, in the form of someone who has developed some of the most hallow, disastrous films of the last twenty years. Scott is a mixed bag, and with two efforts from him this year in the form of ‘The Last Duel' and this picture, ‘House of Gucci’, many wondered which one, if not both, would be the success and/or the failure of the year for him. A month ago, our review of The Last Duel proclaimed it as one of the surprises of the year, and a truly good movie. So today, it is with a heavy heart to say, House of Gucci is the cinematic definition of a slog, leading it to be a giant disappointment.
Adam Driver in ‘House of Gucci’
The story follows Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), a young girl Italian girl who works as a secretary at her father’s transportation business. When she is invited to a costume party one night, Patrizia runs into a young man named Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), who is the son of Rodolfo Gucci, one of half of the head of the Gucci Empire. They dance, get to know each other, and then Maurizio leaves, with the intention of never seeing her again. But Patrizia is persistent and finds Maurizio at his school, and the two form a bond that turns into a romance. But Rodolfo doesn’t want his son to be with a commoner, after all, they are Guccis. He believes that Patrizia is just trying to be with Maurizio because he is a Gucci, and that could bring the wealth that she has never had. This feeling with be foreshadowing for what is to come throughout the rest of the film. But his son is stubborn and decides to marry Patrizia, leaving them outside of the family circle. As time passes, tempers soften and the young couple is brought back into the family fold by Aldo Gucci (Al Pacino), the other half of the Gucci operation, and Maurizio’s uncle. This sets off events that will shake the Gucci family to its core, with the young couple shaking up things in the company, but leaving a trail of destruction and debt in its path that destroys not only their family but their marriage.
The scope of this story is of epic proportions. Screenwriters Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna are telling not only the story of this couple, but of the entire Gucci family, and their complications. But the problem is, all the intrigue is on paper, with the execution leaving a lot to be desired on the screen. And with this, the pace and tone of the film remains inconsistent throughout. The moment House of Gucci tries to be the campy, popcorn flick we were promised in the trailer, it is railroaded by super-serious melodrama that takes all the air and fun out of the room. And this isn’t good considering that when Scott doesn’t have a story script on his side, history has shown his direction and technical decision-making can’t save the project, and this happened again here. Scott and his editor Claire Simpson string together a mumbled, befuddling film together that doesn’t flow scene to scene, leaving a jarring experience. Confrontations are cut short without resolution as if the creative team shooting this picture rushed to put it all together for the release date. By doing this, there is no cohesion with the story, as it wants to be a movie about the Gucci family history mixed with a campy, rotten love story with a dash of a crime movie. And to make matters worse, the film is dark and brooding, making Italy, one of the most beautiful places in the world, look tasteless and uninteresting. This movie should pop with color, and yet it is an eyesore with pretty costumes. All these elements could work in the hands of creatives that know how to handle this material and have the experience in doing so.
Jared Leto in ‘House of Gucci’
Thus with a bad script and lackluster direction, the cast is asked to do the heavy lifting here and this becomes another obstacle for Scott and company. Each member of this cast feels like they are part of another movie. Lady Gaga feels as if she is a soap opera. Her accent has been a point of controversy by some online already, and there is a clear struggle with not just bringing this character’s likeness to screen, but also getting us as an audience to buy into her internal struggles, thus connecting with her at all. We aren’t supposed to connect with Patrizia, since she is all about herself and getting as much money and wealth for herself, that any love for her husband is long gone even before they walk down the aisle. But, by the way, she is portrayed in the script and Gaga, we are being forced to connect with Patrizia r as an audience surrogate, and none of it works. Gaga, who has the talent to be a special actress, just isn’t at the point of elevating herself beyond mediocre material, and instead, falls in line with it, leading to a painful performance.
Lady Gaga in ‘House of Gucci’
Pacino and Irons feel as if they are in a gangster, crime movie where they are more rivals than brothers. There is no way for us to believe these two are brothers other than just saying it, and it’s tragic to see to all-time actors be wasted. Jared Leto, whose make-up is so layered he looks like a cake with way too much icing on it, sounds and acts so over the top, it’s borderline offensive. It was shocking to watch the whiny, tasteless decision he made, and that no one filming thought they were bad. Not since Dick Van Dyke in ‘Mary Poppins’ has an accent been so unforgivable that the studio might need to apologize to the entire country of Italy. The only actor who seemed to get the assignment right is Driver, which isn’t surprising given he is one of the best actors working on the planet, but he is both relatable, menacing, and vulnerable. Yet, when the film’s focus shines on him in the last act, his stiff, straightforward character can’t shine because he is purposefully bland. He is not a character built to carry this movie, but since everyone else around him is weak, he has to pick up the pieces and stitch something together.
House of Gucci comes down to just being a giant mistake and one that could’ve been avoidable if given to someone else other than Ridley Scott. With this much talent behind it, there is no reason this film should feel as slow and cringe-inducing. For an over two-and-a-half-hour run time, this should fly by, with you feeling the fun and zeal of each creative decision. Instead, you are looking at your watch half the time, wondering when it is all going to end. Thus, this fills the ongoing prophecy, that unless he has a killer script, Ridley Scott will make a downer, and we will all be the ones paying for it when we see the final cut.