House of Gucci

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. (02/13/2022)

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. (11/27/2021)

While I did expect something a bit better, still I can't help rating the second Ridley Scott film this year with anything other than a high score. Essentially, it's a brilliant conversation film with a slight thriller edge that benefits from a mega-awesome cast and the firm hand of one of the greatest contemporary directing legends. It's a really great 4-star film that’s only lacking some ultra-powerful moment to sway me towards that fifth one. However, the storytelling style, the fatefulness, and the incredible stylishness (represented by the ubiquitous extravagance) make this saga about the Gucci family one of the best I've seen this year. (11/25/2021)

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!" (05/30/2022)

It's at once so insanely overwrought and yet so cheap and fragmented that it's reminiscent of a sulkfest in which the creative team lost funding for a project, but still decided to finish it with the help of two hundred and fifty Spanish investors folding themselves into a straw man. This also gives me some uncontrollable sympathy for the film, because (probably wrongly) it feels somehow "resilient". If it weren't for the swift Last Duel, one might even offer to mention that directors in their 80s simply lose a certain visual sense out of complacency (see Wajda, Polanski, Bellochio, or Konchalovsky), such that a film that's called freaking House of Gucci lacks above all else style and elegance. And yet it's helmed by a director who, when he devoted a two-second shot to the seated emeritus mobsters during one court scene in American Gangster, just from their body position, clothing, and layout in the shot screamed that these gentlemen mean business. Here, it's like every once in a while no one really knows what to do, so they deal with it in their own way. Jared Leto, whom no one told he wasn't in a Bruno Dumont film, Lady Gaga aiming for the Proudfoot from Bag End Award (presented at Bilbo's 111th birthday), and the writers ticking off the necessary scenes in a high society life story (crying a single tear, a drunk wife terrorizing her husband, the husband slamming her against the wall). As a result, the film feels oddly artificial (thanks in part to the ugly digital camera) and almost everything in it feels like it's happening for applause. However, you can really see some effort, commitment and directorial ideas, but it all feels oddly disjointed and staged. (02/22/2022)