House of Gucci

Ein durchschnittlich unterhaltsamer Film, und zwar nur dank der übertreibenden Schauspieler*innen, was man kaum als Vorzug bezeichnen kann. Als ob Scott absichtlich die Zügel nicht straff angezogen hätte, damit sie die ruhige Oberfläche des dramaturgisch schwachen Stoffes in Bewegung bringen. Alles Geld der Welt hat mir um einiges besser gefallen – er hat ein dramatischeres Thema (das auch auf wahren Begebenheiten basiert), ein spannenderes Erzählen und einen besseren "Schuft". Die einzigen Schauspieler, die ich hier gut fand, waren Jeremy Irons und Al Pacino. Und am Ende natürlich Camille Cottin. (10.12.2021)

A superficial ride on the cheap tinsel of fashion mafiosi, which wallows in its own pompous chauvinism, but never once gets under your skin. Scott is a great man. For one hundred and fifty minutes he blows out the candles on a birthday cake sovereignly like Aldo, and you'll even forgive the shortness of breath. But when it's all over, you'll feel a little disappointed that a showrunner who wasn't afraid to push the characters through something deeper for eight up to ten hours didn’t take up the mantle. (22.11.2022)

Ridley Scott has a weaker moment and although this film is not completely bad, in my eyes it's his weakest work in the last five years. The story is quite interesting, but the execution is a bit bland and uninteresting. We follow the Gucci family and I was kind of hoping it would be a gangster movie, but it's more of a drama. The acting is solid. Adam Driver as Scott's new tagalong is decent, Lady Gaga is solid, Jared Leto was bit too theatrical for my taste, but the make-up was unreal, and Al Pacino was okay, except for the Italian accent, that bothered me a bit. I found the direction a bit cold and for the exorbitant 150 minute running time, the film offered very few interesting or attractive scenes. I didn't even care much about the fashion. Considering the subject matter, the actors and the director, I was expecting a film at least a level higher in all respects, but I got through it without too much trouble and I think three stars is adequate.Story 3/5, Action 0/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 1/5, Fun 3/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 2/5, Actors 4/5. 6/10. (08.02.2022)

The storytelling is mostly mediocre, House of Gucci is mainly driven by the actors. It looks to me as if Ridley Scott came on the set and said "well, now you all play what you want, improvise as much as you can, but don't forget to pull the strongest Italian accent you can". And strangely enough, it usually works. Also, the make-up artists do a great job as always in Ridley's ensemble, because, for example, I recognized Jared Leto through his make-up after about an hour. If I had to choose between The Last Duel and House of Gucci, I would choose the historical drama, which is more focused, with a more honest, sensitively and carefully crafted story that leaves a stronger emotional impact. In the case of House of Gucci, what warms the viewer's heart the most, apart from the aforementioned actors, is perhaps only the great cinematography and the brilliant design of the costumes and interiors, which, of course, the filmmakers polished to the smallest detail as befits and belongs to an icon of luxury and glamour. (13.02.2022)

A star-studded mob movie without mobsters in a thoroughly engaging delivery by Ridley Scott. When I wrote two days ago about how much I was moved by Last Night in Soho and how few films manage to do that, I was kind of hoping that House of Gucci would be another one. Fortunately, it was. This riveting saga benefits from a stellar ensemble cast as much as it does from Scott's understated yet thoroughly engaging direction. Lady Gaga will be forever a safe bet for me after this performance, Adam Driver confirms that after John Williams's music he is the best thing the new Star Wars has brought us, Al Pacino is classic Al, obviously happy to get a proper role, and I had a great time watching his art in the cinema again (the "No!" scene is unforgettable). Jared Leto doesn't get lost even under the (excellent) make-up, which is good, Jeremy Irons and Salma Hayek have probably the smallest roles of all, but that doesn't mean they don't rightfully enjoy them. One of the films of the year, hands down. (27.11.2021)

Dieser Film balanciert genau auf der Grenze zwischen 3 und 4 Sternen bei mir. Die ganzen 164 Minuten des Millionärsschachspiels und des Stichens in den Rücken haben mir Spaß gemacht, außerdem hat es eine Geschichte vorgestellt, von der ich zuvor keine Ahnung hatte, und das Schauspielensemble ist absolut fesselnd, das steht außer Frage. Am meisten haben mir die Szenen mit Irons, Leto und Pacino gefallen (besonders letzterer hat viele Szenen für sich gestohlen und ich bin froh, dass er so viel Platz bekommen hat). Die italienischen Akzente der Schauspieler haben mich allerdings ein wenig gestört (Driver, Irons, Pacino sind zurückhaltend und kaum wahrnehmbar, Gaga dagegen total übertrieben). Was mich jedoch ein wenig an dem Film enttäuscht, ist die Handlungsstruktur. Auf einer Fläche von 2,5 Stunden hatte Ridley Scott genug Platz, um die Geschichte gleichmäßig zu erzählen, dennoch nimmt er sich für einige weniger wichtige Teile ziemlich viel Zeit und der Schluss wirkt dann gehetzt und es fehlt jede Erklärung, wie es dazu gekommen ist und wo die Akteure einen Fehler gemacht haben. Schade, das hat mich alles interessiert. (26.11.2021)

Scotts zweites Biopic in diesem Jahr, das eine neuere Geschichte hat als The Last Duel, musste die vorhersehbaren Folgen durch die Darsteller und die technische Umsetzung kompensieren, was ihm glücklicherweise in den meisten Fällen recht gut gelungen ist. Auf der Leinwand sind die besten Vertreter der älteren und der jüngeren Generation zu sehen, und obwohl ihr englisches Italienisch manchmal ein wenig verkrampft wirkt (zwinker-zwinker: "Joker"), liefern sie Leistungen von höchster Qualität ab. Die audiovisuelle Präsentation ist zufriedenstellend, was bei einem Scott-Film nicht verwunderlich ist. Obwohl ich beide Filme mit vier Sternen bewertet habe, fand ich The Last Duel doch beeindruckender. Minuspunkte bekommt House of Gucci für die unnötig lange Laufzeit und den für meinen Geschmack verpfuschten Tod von Maurizio - aber es ist trotzdem ein solides biografisches Drama. (10.12.2021)

It's at once so insanely overwrought and yet so cheap and fragmented that it's reminiscent of a sulkfest in which the creative team lost funding for a project, but still decided to finish it with the help of two hundred and fifty Spanish investors folding themselves into a straw man. This also gives me some uncontrollable sympathy for the film, because (probably wrongly) it feels somehow "resilient". If it weren't for the swift Last Duel, one might even offer to mention that directors in their 80s simply lose a certain visual sense out of complacency (see Wajda, Polanski, Bellochio, or Konchalovsky), such that a film that's called freaking House of Gucci lacks above all else style and elegance. And yet it's helmed by a director who, when he devoted a two-second shot to the seated emeritus mobsters during one court scene in American Gangster, just from their body position, clothing, and layout in the shot screamed that these gentlemen mean business. Here, it's like every once in a while no one really knows what to do, so they deal with it in their own way. Jared Leto, whom no one told he wasn't in a Bruno Dumont film, Lady Gaga aiming for the Proudfoot from Bag End Award (presented at Bilbo's 111th birthday), and the writers ticking off the necessary scenes in a high society life story (crying a single tear, a drunk wife terrorizing her husband, the husband slamming her against the wall). As a result, the film feels oddly artificial (thanks in part to the ugly digital camera) and almost everything in it feels like it's happening for applause. However, you can really see some effort, commitment and directorial ideas, but it all feels oddly disjointed and staged. (22.02.2022)

When I first saw the ambitious length of this film, it gave me pause. Yet, as the final credits rolled, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the time seemed to fly by. True, action lovers definitely did not get their fill, but I was satisfied. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, whom I've never particularly warmed up to due to her music not being my cup of tea, caught me off guard with her wonderful performance. The rest of the cast didn't lag behind either; the script was delightfully unsettling, and thankfully, no one mispronounced the word Lamborghini. This all added up to a decently satisfying watch. Lesson learned: I know I don't need to say this but it still holds true: "Beware of gold diggers!" (30.05.2022)

While I did expect something a bit better, still I can't help rating the second Ridley Scott film this year with anything other than a high score. Essentially, it's a brilliant conversation film with a slight thriller edge that benefits from a mega-awesome cast and the firm hand of one of the greatest contemporary directing legends. It's a really great 4-star film that’s only lacking some ultra-powerful moment to sway me towards that fifth one. However, the storytelling style, the fatefulness, and the incredible stylishness (represented by the ubiquitous extravagance) make this saga about the Gucci family one of the best I've seen this year. (25.11.2021)

Gucci ist ein sehr erfolgreicher und sehenswerter Film. Zunächst sehen wir ein Schauspielkonzert von Lady Gaga und Adam Driver. Wir hören perfekt ausgewählte Musik und eindringliche Soundtracks, die die Szene zum Leben erwecken. Wir können uns an der neuen Mode und den unzähligen Intrigen und Manipulationen erfreuen. Mir hat der Film sehr gut gefallen, und trotz der längeren Laufzeit zog er sich nirgends hin und floss zügig dahin. Das Einzige, was mich ein wenig enttäuscht hat, waren das überstürzte Ende und ein Prozess, der etwas Aufmerksamkeit verdient hätte. (02.02.2022)