House of Gucci Like a luxury episode of Dynasty ★★★

Just over a month after giving us the excellent The Last Duel, an unfair flop at the box office, veteran Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Gladiator) offers us a totally different feature film, certainly entertaining, but whose the tone is so particular that one does not really know where to place oneself.

In House of Gucci (The Gucci saga in French version), no one seems to be in the same film, no one uses the same accent either, and we don't know if the malicious pleasure that the craftsmen seem to take in teasing the grotesque and bordering on the ridiculous is voluntary or not. Yet, this biographical drama still sustains interest. In truth, we have fun with this plot worthy of a soap novel, which we look at as a luxury episode of Dynasty.

Inspired by a true, visibly fictionalized story (Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna took their screenplay from a book by Sara Gay Forden), the story spans two decades to tell the story of Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), a woman working first in the administration of the transport company run by her father. Her life will change dramatically the day she marries Maurizio Gucci, the wealthy grandson of Guccio Gucci, founder of the famous house that bears his name.

A soap opera in three acts

First there is the meeting, in the 1970s, during a large private party where the DJ apparently only has three Donna Summer albums. When she finally discovers the last name of a tall, shy, and clumsy stranger, Patrizia's interest sparks in less time than it takes to say "upstart." Her seductive game will lead her to the altar, to the great displeasure of Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons), Maurizio's father who, from the top of his improbable British-Italian accent, disapproves of the union to the point of cutting off the food at his son.

We then focus on describing the married life of the couple, initially happy, marked above all by the strategic shenanigans of Patrizia so that Maurizio obtains control of the company. That means she'll do whatever she can to ward off Uncle Aldo (super busted Al Pacino) and the latter's doting son, Paolo (unrecognizable, clownish Jared Leto). But the marriage is failing. And jealousy sets in.

The last act is devoted to all that will lead to the assassination of Maurizio in a street of Milan in 1995. Marked by the arrival in the set of a seer whom Patrizia discovers on TV and whom she will involve in the case (Salma Hayek), this part should in principle have been the best put together. However, at this stage, nothing seems to matter anymore.

The scene in a spa where the two women discuss is already worthy of appearing in a psychotronic anthology, just like the one, absurd, where henchmen are put to contribution. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to take this film the least bit seriously.

, imagine that person being killed infront of your eyes. I wouldn't know how to cope with it and fact that 200+ peo… https://t.co/ynrzkAXuPJ

— ˢᵘᵇᵃᵗᵒᵐⁱᶜˢʰʳⁱᵐᵖ Mon Nov 02 22:00:11 +0000 2020

Even though the story is true and involves real people, House of Gucci is absolutely nothing like a true crime series.

If Adam Driver seems a little extinguished in this too long soap where everyone makes tons of it, Lady Gaga however finds here a role to her measure. The 1980s suit him well.

In theaters in the original English version (with bad Italian accents) and in the French version.

Biographical drama

House of Gucci

Ridley Scott

With Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto

2:37 a.m.

★★★