“When Patrizia Reggiani, an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel their legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately…murder.” -IMDB
There’s little that irritates me more than a three hours movie that could have been done in half the time. So it was with House of Gucci, and that was just the beginning of the many problems I had with this film.* Let me clarify…
Let’s start with the more superficial. The accents, pretty much from top to bottom of the casting list, were atrocious. It was listening to highly respected actors do an impression of Super Mario for three hours. There’s no reason why Italian actors, or American actors with a more nuanced understanding of Italian accents, weren’t hired. Instead, I think the filmmakers decided to stack the deck with A-listers in order to distract from the poor quality of the rest of the film.
Beyond that, the film could not pick a lane. It felt like it was trying to Oscar bait at certain moments, while trying to lean into the campiness of biopics at others. It either should have dialed the camp up to eleven (in the same vein as a Bohemian Rhapsody or a Rocketman), or it should have honed in on the tragedy of it all. Somehow the film felt simultaneously disrespectful and boring, despite the true story being so riveting.
Although I didn’t get a chance to watch this before the Oscar nominations came out, I am glad that this film did not garner any acting, directing, or best picture nominations. And I am not alone in this. My husband, who is one of the most even-keeled humans on the planet, was viscerally angry after wasting his time watching this clunker. We say skip!
*Although I still had less problems with the film than anyone who was portrayed in it (please see Tom Ford and the Gucci family’s reviews). Here’s a random tangent for you. Do you think it is encouraging, discouraging, or completely irrelevant if the subjects portrayed in a film loathe it? Just some food for thought.
Rating: 4 out 10 Claire Bears
🐻🐻🐻🐻
If you like this movie, you should also watch: Spencer, The Last Duel
Streaming: Available to rent or own
With: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Let Me Clarify 