House of Gucci

A star-studded mob movie without mobsters in a thoroughly engaging delivery by Ridley Scott. When I wrote two days ago about how much I was moved by Last Night in Soho and how few films manage to do that, I was kind of hoping that House of Gucci would be another one. Fortunately, it was. This riveting saga benefits from a stellar ensemble cast as much as it does from Scott's understated yet thoroughly engaging direction. Lady Gaga will be forever a safe bet for me after this performance, Adam Driver confirms that after John Williams's music he is the best thing the new Star Wars has brought us, Al Pacino is classic Al, obviously happy to get a proper role, and I had a great time watching his art in the cinema again (the "No!" scene is unforgettable). Jared Leto doesn't get lost even under the (excellent) make-up, which is good, Jeremy Irons and Salma Hayek have probably the smallest roles of all, but that doesn't mean they don't rightfully enjoy them. One of the films of the year, hands down. (27/11/2021)

Ridley Scott's second biopic this year, this time from a more recent history than The Last Duel, had to compensate for the foregone conclusion through the acting and technical execution, which he thankfully managed to do quite well in most cases. The screen brings together acting aces of both the older and younger generations, and although their English-Italian comes across as a little dodgy at times, they give quality performances. The audio-visual execution is good, which is not surprising in a film by Scott. Although I’ve rated both films with four stars, I found The Last Duel more impressive. House of Gucci gets minus points for an unnecessarily long running time and the death of Maurizio, which was a bit too much for my taste, but it's still a solid biographical drama. (10/12/2021)

When I first saw the ambitious length of this film, it gave me pause. Yet, as the final credits rolled, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the time seemed to fly by. True, action lovers definitely did not get their fill, but I was satisfied. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, whom I've never particularly warmed up to due to her music not being my cup of tea, caught me off guard with her wonderful performance. The rest of the cast didn't lag behind either; the script was delightfully unsettling, and thankfully, no one mispronounced the word Lamborghini. This all added up to a decently satisfying watch. Lesson learned: I know I don't need to say this but it still holds true: "Beware of gold diggers!" (30/05/2022)

The storytelling is mostly mediocre, House of Gucci is mainly driven by the actors. It looks to me as if Ridley Scott came on the set and said "well, now you all play what you want, improvise as much as you can, but don't forget to pull the strongest Italian accent you can". And strangely enough, it usually works. Also, the make-up artists do a great job as always in Ridley's ensemble, because, for example, I recognized Jared Leto through his make-up after about an hour. If I had to choose between The Last Duel and House of Gucci, I would choose the historical drama, which is more focused, with a more honest, sensitively and carefully crafted story that leaves a stronger emotional impact. In the case of House of Gucci, what warms the viewer's heart the most, apart from the aforementioned actors, is perhaps only the great cinematography and the brilliant design of the costumes and interiors, which, of course, the filmmakers polished to the smallest detail as befits and belongs to an icon of luxury and glamour. (13/02/2022)

House of Gucci is a moderately entertaining film, though thanks only to the overacting, which can hardly be considered an asset. It’s as if Scott deliberately didn’t keep them on the leash, so as to cause ripples on the stagnant surface of the dramaturgically weak material. For a more dramatic subject (also based on actual events), a more suspenseful narrative and a better “bad guy”, I liked his All the Money in the World a bit better. Jeremy Irons and Al Pacino were the only ones I enjoyed here. And of course Camille Cottin towards the end. (10/12/2021)