WPCNR SUNDAY REVIEW. Cinema by John F. Bailey. December 5, 2021:
Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani the woman who murdered Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) after he divorces her ascends to another level.
She is powerful, emotional, dominates, builds the evil of her character believably through the movie. Oscar on the way for Lady Gaga! But she won’t get it because she’s too good. Too self-made. An original.
The irony of HOG: it does not glamorize the celebrity world. It explodes the myth the rich and famous are better than you and me. The behavior of all the main characters in this movie is not admirable or inspiring in any way. The story is true to life at the very wobbly top.
The House of Gucci is the world of “The Little Foxes,” the play by Lillian Hellman. Everybody wants what you have and love turns to ashes through greed, jealousy and clasping and retaining power. Instead of love being for another person, the love turns into loving yourself. Ego sickeningly trumps common sense and concern for where your choices are taking you as young lovers turn into old enemies.
HOG’S real mission is accomplished: laying out there not too subtlely how shallow, self-centered the rich & powerful are. The characters have no class the way they treat each other, no compassion. They are weak, ruthless when threatened.
Each of the fashion moguls of Gucci stops at nothing to advance themselves at the expense of others.
Al Pacino as the uncle Aldo in the New York Gucci store is terrific. Jefffrey Irons is the essence of the patriarch, Rudolfo Gucci: he has been aged to a bitter vintage: no feeling, no body, no compassion or love. It’s all about him. Irons plays Rudolfo for the vampire he is, sucking the life out of people.
The funeral scene as he lays in his coffin is great. Because no one is mourning his death.
The humor in this movie is doubled-edged to show desperation and how sensitive these weak people are and insecure despite their power.
Lady Gaga becomes more secure throughout and the appeal of the world of the rich and famous gets to her. Her character transformation is a tour de force. More big roles coming for her.
One consistent flaw in movies today is the absolutely poor audio. This one is particular poorly presented.
The audio I heard even with hearing aids, is too base treble. Actors swallow and clip their lines. They whisper and II defy you to hear what is said. The audio is either a fault of the voice coaches, or the audio or the recording systems or the theater you hear the sound track.
The Italian accents are very difficult to understand in all the actors. You get the gist through the body language, dripping, chilly, passionate, stifling, infuriating ruthless, thick lust and acid flows like lava through the script. Like “The Godfather,” a horribly inarticulate movie you understand what’s happening through attitude.
Gaga with gestures and her emotional command works up believably to murder, makes women admire her and men, too. Men like strong women. But do they really? You will find yourself asking that question.
You do not cross Lady Gaga. She sells this movie. She is right at the top, not over it.
Director Ridley Scott’s treatment of the assassination of Lady Gaga’s husband Maurizio is solid, ruthless and shows what murder is, a ruthless taking of a human life.
This is a long movie, but it seems short because the changes in Lady Gaga’s growth and how Driver’s neglect of her are ominous. Driver does a subtle truly ugly portrayal of how Gaga’s efforts to help him fester a smouldering resentment for damaging his ego leading to divorce.
Even though you know the end, you stay because the relationship slowly cracking and love dying and being rejected fascinates.
The way that Gaga encourages Maurizio to be someone he is not to protect him while advancing herself in the House of Gucci is deftly done, but also turns his ego against her.
Very instructive. Driver and Gaga are Rags to Riches to Ruin. They ruin each other. They love what the other is which destroys the foundation of the love for the other.
A love story turns into a horror story.
