When it comes to making a solid biographical drama, two essential ingredients are required: The first is the possessing of an extremely talented and well-crafted filmmaker, along with a leading actor/actress who not only meets expectations but surpasses them as the films main historical figure. For legendary director Ridley Scott, the filmmaker is no stranger in bringing historically-based stories involving real life figures to the screen with his latest effort, House Of Gucci being no exception. Here continues that trend with the results being an effective biographical crime drama surrounding the popular Italian fashion brand that's flashy, brilliantly directed, and engaging to watch from start to finish with Lady Gaga delivering a knockout performance.
Based on a true-crime story, Gucci's plot centers around Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), an outsider from humble beginnings, marrying into the Italian Gucci family. Throughout the course of her marriage, her bridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy, triggering a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately murder. As a biographical crime drama, Gucci works due to Scott's skillfulness as a storyteller with him assembling a dynamic cast to bring realism to the story. The combination of Scott as director and Gaga as the lead make Gucci's story one that's engrossing to watch despite being slow-paced. Overlong or not, audiences will ultimately find themselves drawn to the story from the start and not letting up until the films shockingly powerful climax.
In terms of performances, Gucci's cast deliver fantastic work with Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, and Jared Leto delivering hugely impressive performances. Gaga thrills at portraying an manipulative Patricia Reggiani, who slowly ascends her influence over the Gucci household. Both her humanizing of the character and physical transformation are stunning to watch with her showing her characters lusting for a more prestigious lifestyle. Adam Driver does a terrific job as Maurizio Gucci, law student and heir to a 50% interest in the Gucci fashion house through his father Rodolfo. Driver holds his own next to Gaga with him playing a more reserved and socially awkward character, who offsets her characters boldness and larger-than-life persona. Whereas some may find the pair to be lacking chemistry, it can also be argued that the contrast in their performances were intentional to show their strengths and weaknesses as an ill-fated couple. Jared Leto is completely unrecognizable here as Paolo, who aspires to be a designer within Gucci despite a noticeable lack of talent. Leto steals the screen when given the opportunity while providing the story with some humor. Both Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons give terrific performances as Maurizio's uncle Aldo, and Irons as his controlling father Rodolfo Gucci, who mistrusts Patrizia and deems her unworthy of being his sons wife. Salma Hayek impresses as Giuseppina, Patrizia's psychic for guidance whom she often seeks assistance from. Gucci's cast display an extraordinary amount of talent on screen while producing complete believability.
With Gucci's directing, Scott brings another historical setting to life and makes it gorgeously filmed with fantastic cinematography, ideal costume and set-designs that gives the story a vintage feel while showing the lavishness of the Gucci family life with tremendous attention being given to detail. The clothing that Patrizia wears also experiences a progressive change in style throughout the film with her bearing sharply-cut outfits and get ups, that give her fashion choice an animalistic approach. The films scenery adds its visual flavor with the film's locations in Rome and New York being wonderfully photographed in ways that makes them feel vibrant. Whereas audiences will find themselves engulfed by Gucci's visual landscape, the films excessive 152 minute length may be a bit off-putting for audiences, despite the performances from the main cast help in sugarcoating that glaring fault. While Gucci doesn't represent Scott's strongest directorial work, he puts all his famous trademark filmmaking skills on display here with him crafting a visual feast for the eyes.
The script for Gucci not only shows the lavishness of Italian lifestyle, but covers the rise and fall of the family with Patricia's influence taking hold of the family brand as well as her marriage. The story is about rich families that don't necessarily get along and are riddled in scandal, mistrust, deceit with the outcome resulting in murder. The script does an excellent job of fleshing out all of the key members of the Gucci family along with making the narrative immersive for audiences. The marriage between Patricia and Maurizio is established with the audience witnessing the couples rise in stature, and their ultimate collapse as Maurizio begins to dislike the person Patrizia turned into as she manipulates others for her own personal gain, ultimately making their relationship a toxic one with everything surrounding it falling apart as well. The films dialogue is both quotable like Gaga's character spurring the films catchy number one quote "Father, son, and House Of Gucci". Some interesting subplots are incorporated into the script like Paolo's character being looked upon as an unintelligent hack, whose constantly disrespected by members of the Gucci family and ultimately betrayed by Patrizia and Maurizio. Though Gucci's isn't perfect, it does an exceptional job of showing the rise and fall of the Gucci empire based on a marriage that ends up going south due to greed with the film carrying an underlining campy tone mixed with drama.
While the films campiness combined with dour drama may appear as being a bit unbalanced at times, Gucci is elevated by Scott's masterful craftsmanship as a filmmaker, as well as Gaga's mesmerizing performance. Though slow going, audiences will unquestionably find themselves intrigued by the films set of main characters, and the world of glamour that surrounds them while becoming increasingly unstable and tragic as the story progresses. Nonetheless, regardless of questionable pacing and an uneven balance of camp and drama at times, House Of Gucci stands as being intriguing to watch. If for no other reason, it should be watched solely for Gaga's performance whose range continues to surprise and impress audiences.
Final Verdict: For Ridley Scott fans, Lady Gaga fans, or those who find the real life story of the Gucci family intriguing, House Of Gucci is worth watching despite its overlong running time.
Images Courtesy of MGM
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