House of Gucci * * * ½
If Ridley Scott had pushed it a little bit harder he could have had one of those "So bad, it's good" films. You know like "Showgirls" or something. But he restrained himself just enought to demand that we take him seriously. In fact by half way through we are confident he is running the show and he knows exactly what he is doing.
All this parody, this flamboyance, this lack of subtlety, these ridiculous "Italian accents", these exaggereated scenes and actors out of control is exactly what he wants. So that in the end House of Gucci is a like a billion dollar soap opera - which is rather like what it was in real life, I suppose.
See this ring? That makes me a Gucci. And don't you forget it! |
The talented lad Maurizio (Adam Driver) meets and marries the love of his life, Patrizia (Lady Gaga). Her Dad runs a trucking business. If Maurizio can't see the attraction of taking over The House of Gucci, Patrizia sure as shit can! So she talks Maurizio into it and off they go to New York with Uncle Aldo to get involved.
Then things go from bad to good to bad again, then to very bad: then to seriously frigging bad! Some end up in jail on tax fraud, ("Why me?" he cries out), whilst others end up in jail on much more serious matters that has to do with the engagement of a couple of truly incompetent hit men.
Lady Gaga has to be taken as a serious acting talent. She's as good in this as she was in A Star is Born. Which means she is beautiful looking, she can sing like an angel, and she can act, so feel free to hate her, (meh, you know what I mean).
I have to say, this thing is stunning to look at: the costumes, the locations: it's all seductively beautiful, rather like The Gucci Label I suppose. And it's a lot of fun!
Comments
Post a Comment