House of Gucci has received a mixed review from Tom Ford, the film director, fashion designer and former creative director of Gucci. Ford, known for his Oscar-nominated films A Single Man, and Nocturnal Animals, first made his name in fashion. The designer took Gucci from the brink of bankruptcy and transformed it into a multi-billion dollar industry in just five years. Since then, Ford has designed outfits for celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Tom Hanks, and Daniel Craig.
House of Gucci follows the true story of Patrizia Reggiani and Maurizio Gucci, their tumultuous marriage and fight for control over the eponymous brand. In reality, the marriage resulted in a messy divorce and Gucci's subsequent death in 1995, after he was killed by a hitman hired by Reggiani herself. The film is directed by Ridley Scott and features an all-star cast featuring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, and Reeve Carney as Ford. House of Gucci has received a mixed reception from critics, audiences and from the real-life family behind the scandal and Gucci empire.
In his review of House of Gucci in Air Mail (via THR), Ford talked about how much he enjoyed the art direction, costume design, and some of the film's performances, particularly Hayek and Irons. On the other hand, the designer and filmmaker had some problems with what he felt were historical accuracies, mostly referring to the film as a soapy exaggeration of what the real experience was like. Ford said he was sometimes confused as to whether certain scenes should be funny, saying he didn't know if some moments between Leto and Pacino were simply SNL sketch versions of the story. Ford also mentioned it was difficult to enjoy the campy value of the film, saying he was "deeply sad" after watching House of Gucci given his real-life connections to the "tragic" events.
"At times when Al Pacino as Aldo Gucci and Jared Leto as his son Paolo Gucci were on screen, I was not completely sure that I wasn’t watching a Saturday Night Live version of the tale ... Leto’s brilliance as an actor is literally buried under latex prosthetics ... As with most films based on a true story, facts are altered, characters are exaggerated, timelines warped ... In real life, none of it was camp. It was at times absurd, but ultimately it was tragic."
With the film's soapy appeal for both fashion enthusiasts and true crime fans, House of Gucci has received criticism for its melodramatic approach to its story, with Ford comparing it to the show Dynasty, but with a bigger budget. Scott's other recent film The Last Duel, also faced backlash over its open relationship with historical accuracy. Unlike The Last Duel, however, many individuals involved in the House of Gucci narrative, like Ford, are still alive, and this odd presentation of history can still be remembered and disputed, with Maurizio's own cousin calling the film a "huge disappointment."
Hollywood has always had an odd connection with film based on true stories, with some claiming that filmmakers are not responsible for historical accuracy and that entertainment is the priority. Others, like Ford, argue that a movie like House of Gucci is what people remember long term, and that it becomes history for the people that watch it, changing the narrative of actual history. As long as viewers understand this distinction and push to learn more about the history themselves, then there's nothing wrong with filmmakers like Scott trying to make the most entertaining movie they can.
Source: Air Mail (via THR)
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3DaRIw0
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment