House of Gucci

Original title:	House of Gucci
Director:	Ridley Scott
Release:	Cinema
Running time:	157 minutes
Release date:	24 november 2021
Rating:

Gucci is a brand that is recognized and admired around the world. It was founded by Guccio Gucci who opened his first luxury leather goods store in Florence exactly one century ago. In the late 1970s, the Italian fashion empire was at a critical juncture in its history. While the company now had an international reach, it was hampered by rumors of financial malfeasance, flagging innovation and brand devaluation. The group is run by the two sons of the founder - Aldo, a cunning and colorful character, and his brother Rodolfo, who is much more cold and traditional. Pugnacious, Aldo has no intention of ceding control of the empire to anyone - certainly not to his son Paolo, a whimsical boy who aspires to be a fashion designer. As for Maurizio, Rodolfo's shy and overprotected son, he's more interested in studying law than running a global luxury group. Then Maurizio falls in love with the beautiful and manipulative Patrizia Reggiani and, against his father's advice, decides to marry her. When Aldo discovers his affinity for Patrizia, he succeeds, with the help of the young woman, in convincing his nephew to give up his legal ambitions to join the company, of which he becomes, de facto, the probable heir. This does not fail to feed the resentment of Paolo, whose talent is not up to his artistic dreams

Juliette's Review

Ridley Scott is back on the scene, less than two months after the release of his medieval epic, The Last Duel. With House of Gucci, a radical change of atmosphere. This time the director takes us into the intimacy of the Gucci clan, one of the most powerful dynasties in the fashion world. A true family saga, the 2:37 film reveals the events that led to the assassination of Maurizio Gucci, one of the heirs of the founder of the luxury brand, Guccio Gucci. From Milan to New York via Saint-Moritz, the story spans a period of more than 20 years, from 1970 to 1995. On the program: love, sex, money, scandal, betrayal and decadence. In short, all the ingredients of a good soap opera. And there is a bit of that in House of Gucci.

But it is difficult to classify it in one genre. Hybrid film, it oscillates between the drama, the comedy and sometimes even the burlesque. As a result, we sometimes wonder where Ridley Scott really wants to take us. The first part, centered on Patrizia Gucci (special mention to Lady Gaga who carries the film on her shoulders), is playful and light, just like her character. We follow the 20-year-old woman in the excitement of the 70s in Milan. Daughter of a businessman who made his fortune in transportation, she is considered a parvenu by the Milanese elite. She wanted to break away from this image by rising as high as possible on the social ladder. Her meeting with Maurizio Gucci, during a social event, will allow her to put her plan into action.

A shy and self-conscious law student, he is quickly charmed by the spontaneity and freshness of this ingenue, who is far from matching his family's expectations. This is the beginning of a romantic comedy, Italian style, where Lady Gaga and Adam Driver interpret with talent these two young people that everything opposes. In 1972, Maurizio, madly in love, ends up really alienating his family when he decides to marry Patrizia. But the young woman, far from being naive, intends to have her share of the cake. She will do everything possible to reconcile her husband with his family and raise him to the head of the family empire. Then begins the second part of the film.

Less rhythmic and more dramatic, it focuses on the power war between the members of the Gucci family. It is impossible not to think of Coppola's Godfather. But we hardly find the same grandiloquence, the same emotion, the same fascination. This is due to the rather poor dialogue, the classic direction and the lack of subtlety in the acting of some actors. Starting with Jared Leto, who, despite his 4 hours of make-up a day, struggles to slip into the skin of Paolo Gucci (Maurizio's cousin). Overacted, some of his scenes are almost ridiculous. The trailer announced a great film, it could have been, if Ridley Scott had taken more risks.

House of Gucci
Directed by Ridley Scott
Screenplay by Becky Johnston, Roberto Bentivegna
Story by Becky Johnston
Based on The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden
Produced by Ridley Scott, Giannina Scott, Kevin J. Walsh, Mark Huffam
Starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, Al Pacino
Cinematography : Dariusz Wolski
Edited by Claire Simpson
Music by Harry Gregson-Williams
Production companies : Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Bron Creative, Scott Free Productions
Distributed by United Artists Releasing (United States), Universal Pictures (international)
Release date : November 9, 2021 (Leicester Square), November 24, 2021 (United States)
Running time : 157 minutes

Seen on November 22, 2021 at UGC Normandie, room 01

Juliette's Mark: