HOUSE OF GUCCI : Tuesday 4th January 2022.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'HOUSE OF GUCCI' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this is an American biographical crime drama film Directed by Ridley Scott in his second film release this year following 'The Last Duel' released in Australia at the end of October. This film is based on the 2001 book 'The House of Gucci : A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed' by Sara Gay Forden. The World Premiere screening of 'House of Gucci' was held at London's Leicester Square in early November 2021, was theatrically released in the US in late November 2021 and here in Australia on New Years Day. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, and it has so far grossed US$127M from a production budget of US$75M.

The film is inspired by the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire, Gucci, and opens up in 1978 in Milan, where we see Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) working as an office manager for her fathers small but nonetheless successful trucking company. At a birthday party, Patrizia meets Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), an unassuming law student and heir to a 50% stake in the Gucci fashion house through his father Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons). In time Maurizio introduces Patrizia to his father, who in turn warns his son not to consider marrying the woman as he sees her as a social climber and only after his money, warning him that he will disinherit him if he goes ahead with a marriage. 

Ultimately Maurizio has little or no interest in the Gucci empire, and marries Patrizia anyway. Rodolfo kicks his son out of the family home and he lands a job at his now father-in-laws trucking business, where he says that he has never been happier. Patrizia later falls pregnant, and she sees this as a means for Rodolfo and Maurizio to reconcile their differences. She inadvertently tells Maurizio's uncle Aldo (Al Pacino) that she is pregnant. Aldo is delighted by the news and takes the couple under his wing, inviting them to New York. Aldo introduces Patrizia to his unintelligent and 'stupid' son Paolo (an unrecognisable Jared Leto), who aspires to be a Gucci designer despite his complete lack of talent. 

Thanks to Aldo, Maurizio and a terminally ill Rodolfo reconcile after being told the happy news that he is now a grandfather to their daughter Alessandra, shortly before Rodolfo's death. Rodolfo writes Maurizio back into his will, but fails to sign the necessary document transferring the Gucci shares to him before he dies. Patrizia fakes Rodolfo's signature, giving Maurizio a 50% share of Gucci.

Patrizia begins to hatch a scheme to obtain a controlling interest in Gucci by acquiring some of Aldo and Paolo's shares (the two hold the other 50% stake). She sees an ad on the TV for Giuseppina 'Pina' Auriemma (Salma Hayek), a psychic, whom she contacts for advice and guidance. She begins to manipulate Maurizio, who has little real interest in Gucci, into taking a more active role within the company. Paolo acquires proof that Aldo has been evading taxes in the US and so gives the proof to Patrizia in exchange for her promise that he will be allowed to design his own line, under the Gucci name. 

Aldo is later arrested by the IRS and sentenced to a year and a day in prison. Patrizia lies to the Italian Police and tells them that Paolo is not authorised to use the Gucci trademark, and so during a fashion show where Paolo is showcasing his collection the Police storm in and halt the show by force. Patrizia and Maurizio ask Paolo to sell them his shares, but he rebuffs them and cuts all contact between them.

Italian Police raid Maurizio's house and attempt to arrest Maurizio for forging Rodolfo's signature. He evades them by riding over to the border with Switzerland on his motorbike and has Patrizia and Alessandra join them a few days later. In the meantime Maurizio has renewed acquaintances with his old friend Paola Franchi (Camille Cottin). An argument later erupts between Maurizio and Patrizia, and Maurizio decides that he is tired of his wife's influence over himself, as well as the company. 

He orders his wife and daughter to return to Italy and begins an affair with Paola, which Pina has apparently sensed. When Maurizio's business plans begin to impact the company negatively he seeks assistance from equity company Investcorp, through which he hatches a plan to acquire shares of the company from a now-impoverished Paolo. Aldo is released from prison and Paolo tells his father what he has done. Aldo is incensed. When Investcorp offers to buy Aldo out, he refuses until Maurizio reveals himself as the deal's instigator. Completely dejected and betrayed, Aldo reluctantly sells the shares and cuts all ties with Maurizio.

Patrizia tries to reconcile with Maurizio, but he is not interested in the slightest. Later, he asks Patrizia for a divorce through his long-time assistant Domenico De Sole (Jack Houston), which Patrizia angrily refuses. Maurizio is looking to revitalise the brand image of Gucci and so recruits (almost as a last resort because every other 'name' had turned them down) up-and-coming designer Tom Ford (Reeve Carney). Ford's collections are well received at his launch fashion show and prove successful, but Maurizio has so thoroughly mismanaged the company's finances that Investcorp's leaders feel compelled to buy him out, offering him US$150M and replacing him with Ford and De Sole. Patrizia becomes so angered with Maurizio that she asks Pina to help her kill him. Pina puts Patrizia in contact with some hitmen 'from Sicily' and a few days later, the hit-men shoot Maurizio to death in broad daylight outside his office. 

Afterwards we see Patrizia and Alessandra knocking on the door of Maurizio's residence, for it to be answered by Paola. The pair share a tearful embrace, and then Patrizia orders Paola out of her home, immediately. In the closing scene we fast track two years, and in a courtroom the Judge presides of Patrizia, Pina and the two hitmen. The Judge asks a question of Patrizia Reggiani, who replies, 'my name is Patrizia Gucci'. Just before the end credits roll, the screen reveals that Aldo Gucci died of prostate cancer in 1990; Paolo Gucci died almost penniless in London in 1995; Patrizia was sentenced to twenty-nine years in prison, and Pina and the hitman and getaway driver received sentences of 25 years or more for the murder. Gucci is fully purchased by Investcorp who turn the business around and make it into the fashion empire it still is to this day, while no Gucci family members remain at the business today.  

'House of Gucci' reminded me in some small ways of the 1980's American TV soap opera series 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas' and seeing all those rich folk squabble and squander their millions of dollars and scheme their way in and out of each others business, more often that not with dire consequences. This is Lady Gaga's film make no mistake and for her portrayal of Patrizia there has to be an Oscar nod in there I'm sure, while Al Pacino as Aldo and Adam Driver as Maurizio also make compelling performances. As for the unrecognisable Jared Leto as Paolo, his performance is so over the top camp and impish that it's no wonder he was prepared to go full undercover so as not to be recognised! This is a highly entertaining film about love and loss, backstabbing and betrayal, money and murder all delivered neatly with the full gloss and panache that is Ridley Scott's trademark, who at the age of eighty-four is still churning out movies that command your attention, are engaging and have something to say. At two hours 37 minutes this film is over-lengthy at the mid-section before stumbling towards the finish line, but that said, 'House of Gucci' is nonetheless an enjoyable, sharply dressed romp of fashion and greed that ultimately brought the House of Gucci down, but not out. 

'House of Gucci' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-