Ridley Scott is one of the best directors that’s ever lived and that’s ever was. Needless to say, whatever we want to say about his comments about MCU movies and maybe other franchises, Ridley Scott has already built out a legendary career that will be studied and worshiped for many years to come. He’s also proven to work his ass off multiple times a year, whether it’s directing two movies that get released the same year or serving as an executive producer for another big release. Keep in mind, this man is 83 years old, which is already a testament to what kind of talent he has still left in him for such an old man. He might not be as rusty as Clint Eastwood puts out a movie, and while there is a slight age gap between the two, it’s incredible that Ridley Scott can not only make two movies in the same year, but make two distinctively different movies during the COVID-19 pandemic within a year from each other. And not only that, both movies get released within a month away from each other with The Last Duel and now House of Gucci. It’s going to be an interesting discussion on where House of Gucci would rank in the pantheon of Ridley Scott’s work, but it’s definitely something that’ll spark a lot of rewatching. Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci is a fashionized version of The Godfather, but with more glamour, wackiness and more Gucci. It definitely strikes a border between being campy and a drama and it proves that Ridley Scott can succeed at something uniquely different. Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino and the rest are all magnificent and the all capture a great side of complete ridiculousness.
Spanning across the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, House of Gucci tells the story of Patrizia Reggiani who marries into the Gucci family. Being sort of an outsider, Patrizia then starts to discover more of the families legacy and then opens the door to a series of degeneracy, disloyalty, vengeance and eventually murder.
Easily and by far one of House of Gucci’s greatest and most thrilling aspects are the performances delivered from most of the ensemble. Lady Gaga’s performance in A Star Is Born was no fluke because she is electrifying in this movie. Her performance in this movie undeniably great that she should retire from her music career and switch over to acting. Regardless of that, the performance she gives in this showcases that she is her to stay as an actress and god hoping she can deliver even better performances down the road. Adam Driver is also, once again, a damn delight in this movie and really acts as a nice counter part to Lady Gaga’s character. Al Pacino is a freaking rockstar in this movie and really channels in some great quips and hilarious moments. Salma Hayek and Jeremy Irons, who don’t serve as much screen time as the others, do a great job with the material.
Where things get more insane and severely over the top is the performance that Jared Leto gives in this movie. Jared Leto is a terrific actor by all accounts and should be respected as such no matter what we hear about him. It’s not to say his performance in House of Gucci is bad, it’s more of an example of an actor who took the material maybe too seriously than others that it then becomes something so odd and peculiar that you can’t take your eyes off of it. His performance feels like it’s on some other planet, but the more it’s processed and digested, Leto’s performance embodies one of the best and interesting elements of the movie and that’s how this movie is a campy satire. Each character in the film are respectfully ridiculous in their own way and scenes of character interactions and various scenes of complete craziness all encompass that this movie is a satirical comedy that comments on Italian lifestyles. With Ridley Scott steering this ship, it’s a complete surprise that he was able to tell story about nonsensical people but not being all that far fetched from the life of reality.
House of Gucci is also a complete embellishment of sleek visuals and fascination with it’s style. Ridley Scott movies always look terrific, regardless of quality, and having him collaborate with cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, it’s a relationship that we wish would stay in tact forever. The shots the cities in Italy, Rome and even in Switzerland are all beautifully constructed and lit and it really enhances the experience.
Is House of Gucci one of Ridley Scott’s best? It’s certainly one that has a lot to unpack because he’s never made a movie that’s at this level of absurdity. Overall, it’s a blessing that Ridley Scott can have The Last Duel and now House of Gucci in the same year because they’re two distinctive movies and that’s a credit to one’s talent.
My grade for House of Gucci: B+
Zane's take at the Cinema's 