Tom Ford has written a review of House of Gucci for Airmail and we’re not sure whether he loved the film or hated it. Maybe a little bit of both?
The famed fashion designer, who worked alongside Maurizio Gucci for four years and personally knew many of the people depicted in the film, kicks off his review by writing, “I recently survived a screening of the two-hour-and-37-minute film that is House of Gucci.”
From there, Ford does a deep dive into picture, which he says “rivals the nighttime soap Dynasty for subtlety but does so with a much bigger budget” and often left him wondering if “I wasn’t watching a Saturday Night Live version of the tale.”
Here are a few highlights from the rest of his review…
On his initial reaction upon leaving the theater:
The film is … well, I’m still not quite sure what it is exactly, but somehow I felt as though I had lived through a hurricane when I left the theater. Was it a farce or a gripping tale of greed? I often laughed out loud, but was I supposed to?
On Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci:
Leto as Paolo does have some of the best lines in the film and manages to actually piss on the famed Gucci Flora scarf created for Princess Grace. I was jealous of that. It was something that I always wanted to do myself, as I was constantly being asked to try to revive that damned scarf.
On Salma Hayek as Pina Auriemma:
Salma Hayek is great, as always, but she’s under-utilized in her role as the television psychic Pina Auriemma, who is key in the saga. The casting of Hayek is particularly inspired given that her husband is the current owner of Gucci, a fact which will be lost on the mainstream audience.
On Lady Gaga as Patrizia Gucci:
The true star of the film for me is Gaga. It is her film, and she steals the show. In her often over-the-top portrayal of Patrizia Gucci, her accent migrates occasionally from Milan to Moscow. But who cares? Her performance is spot-on. Her face is the thing that one can’t take one’s eyes off of. When she is on-screen, she owns the frame—not an easy task with so many seasoned and talented cast members vying for our attention. Too many, in fact.
On the film’s “camp” factor:
I was deeply sad for several days after watching House of Gucci, a reaction that I think only those of us who knew the players and the play will feel. It was hard for me 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.
On whether House of Gucci will be a hit:
Splash the Gucci name across things and they usually sell.
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