HOUSE OF GUCCI

Ridley Scott and Adam Driver return for their second release this year in HOUSE OF GUCCI, a story about Maurizio Gucci (Driver), who falls in love and marries Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga). Maurizio and Patrizia could not be any more different: he obviously comes from money, is more delicate with his language and in the beginning, has no interest in the family business (instead, we find him studying to become a lawyer); whereas Patrizia, who's family owns a small trucking company, is ambitious, power hungry, and wishes for the finer things in life. Their relationship soon ensnares the family and business. Jeremy Irons, who plays Maurizio's father, sees Patrizia for what she really is: an attempted passenger on the Gucci gravy train. Al Pacino, who plays Maurizio's Uncle Aldo and owns 50% of the company along with his brother, Maurizio's father Rodolfo Gucci, handles the day-to-day operations. The final member of the family portrayed is Aldo's son Paolo, played wonderfully by Jared Leto. The casting in this is top notch as there isn't a single weak link in the bunch and Gaga continues to pad her already impressive resume. The film in many ways plays like a soap opera with family discord, greed, and self-discovery. In addition to the cast, with the subject matter being about fashion, the costumes are top notch. Everyone's looking their best in every scene. With roughly the same runtime as THE LAST DUEL, this doesn't drag as much as that film as the power struggle within the family, plus the fate of Maurizio at the films end is able to hold the audiences attention. 6/10