Image Source: United Artists Releasing, Social News XYZ, Bollywood Hungama
The most anticipated movie of the year, "House of Gucci", starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Salma Hayek, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, etc., was just released and received a mixed reaction from the audience and the critics, but the performances of the actors were highly praised.
"House of Gucci" by Ridley Scott is an American biographical crime drama movie based on the 2001 book "The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed" by Sara Gay Forden. The story follows Lady Gaga’s character, Patrizia Reggiani, and Adam Driver’s character, Maurizio Gucci, in a whirlwind romance that turns into a quarrel for control of the Italian fashion brand, "Gucci". The world premiere of the movie was held at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on November 9th, 2021, and theatrically on November 24th, 2021.
In January 2021, during an interview with Italian magazine Novella 2000, Patrizia Reggiani approved Lady Gaga to play her on-screen as she described the singer-actress as "genius". However, it was later reported that she was annoyed that the singer did not contact her or meet her and said, "it is not an economic question. I won't get a cent from the film. It is a question of good sense and respect". Later reports claimed that the makers did not want Lady Gaga to meet her. Patrizia has also slammed the casting of legendary actor Al Pacino in the role of her father, stating that the makers of the film showcase her family as 'short, fat, and ugly. ’
On the other hand, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the Gucci family is not happy with the movie at all because the family claims that Ridley Scott and the producers of the movie did not bother to consult the heirs of the fashion house before proceeding with the movie's impeccable star cast. The heir of former Gucci chairman Aldo Gucci said in a statement, "The production of the film did not bother to consult the heirs before describing Aldo Gucci – president of the company for 30 years – and the members of the Gucci family as thugs, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them, attributing to the protagonists, events, a tone and an attitude that never belonged to them. This is extremely painful from a human point of view and an insult to the legacy on which the brand is built today. Gucci is a family that lives and works honoring the work of its ancestors, whose memory does not deserve to be disturbed to stage a spectacle that is untrue and which does not do justice to its protagonists."
According to reports, the family was not pleased with the way some things were shown about their family on screen, as they were portrayed as "thugs" and "ignorant and insensitive to the world that surrounded them". "The Gucci family reserves the right to take every initiative necessary to protect their name and image, as well as those of their loved ones," Aldo Gucci said of the team. Paolo Gucci stated, "Our family has an identity and privacy." We can talk about everything, but there is a borderline that cannot be crossed".
The family also said that they are not happy with the way Lady Gaga’s character, "Patrizia Reggiani," was portrayed as a victim trying to survive in a male-dominated and chauvinist corporate culture. The statement from the family further read, "This couldn't be further from the truth." This statement about Patrizia Reggiani’s character comes after the family explained that they were confused about how a woman who was convicted of instigating the murder of her own husband could be portrayed as a victim.
This is not the first time the Gucci family has lashed out at the "House of Gucci", as several months ago Patrizia Gucci, daughter of Aldo Gucci, stated that Scott Ridley stole the identity of the family to make a profit for the industry. Scott Ridley spoke to BBC Radio on November 22nd and dismissed all the criticism and said, "I don’t engage with that. You have to remember that one Gucci was murdered and another went to jail for tax evasion, so you can’t be talking to me about making a profit. As soon as you do that, you become part of the public domain. "
Lady Gaga and Adam Driver as Patrizia Reggiani and Maurizio Gucci in 'House of Gucci'. Image Source: Entertainment Weekly
Tom Ford recently shared in an article for Air Mail that he felt as though "he had lived through a hurricane when [he] left the theater and found it hard for [him] to see the humor and camp in something that was so bloody. In real life, none of it was camp. It was at times absurd, but ultimately it was tragic". Tom Ford, although praising the entire cast of the movie, mentioned that legendary actors Al Pacino and Jared Leto's performances were Saturday Night Live performers and added, "Jared Leto's brilliance as an actor is literally buried under latex prosthetics...Paolo, whom I met on several occasions, was indeed eccentric and did some wacky things, but his overall demeanor was certainly not like the crazed and seemingly mentally challenged character of Jared Leto's performance."
Critics have called the picture an "expensive, self-indulgent bauble," "a shiny, magnificent mess," and "a titillating, ludicrous, and totally absorbing soap opera," among other things. Gaga's performance, on the other hand, has received widespread praise and is generating Oscar talk as the awards season approaches.
