HOUSE OF GUCCI

'House of Gucci' has all the elements of a great drama, but it never gets off the ground. At 84 years old, director Ridley Scott ('The Last Duel', 'All the Money in the World') is just simply the wrong person to direct the story of a family in the fashion world. The film has so many tonal problems; any fashion film, especially with Lady Gaga in the lead, should automatically have a level of camp present, but this film never gives any. Iconic trailer lines like "Father, son and House of Gucci" and "I don't consider myself a particularly ethical person, but I am fair" are really downplayed in the film, and with the run time clocking in at 2 hours at 45 minutes, it's extremely hard to find much to latch onto.

The performances are also such a mixed bag, with not one person giving a good Italian accent. Gaga is doing her best but some inflections aren't the best, while Jeremy Irons gives up trying one and Jared Leto is straight up in a different film altogether. He and Pacino are on another level, and they seem to think this is a full-out comedy. Driver plays it right down the middle, lifting up the film thanks to his chemistry with Gaga; the two are quite engrossing.

For a film title like 'House of Gucci', there seems to be a lack of interest in the Gucci brand. While the film does look quite rich and glamorous - the costumes are easily going to take home an Oscar - the film really shies away from going full-out fashionable. The wigs, however, are all over the place. Gaga looks like her male alter ego Jo Calderone at times; every scene she has a new wig, and they all have their own journey.

Being as long as it is, the film inevitably loses it way partway through. We know the ending and the film just feels like it dances around it; we spend so much time with each of these characters that amount to so little, and there are large chunks of the film that are missing Gaga, who is easily the best actor is the film - but that means you feel so drained whenever a scene doesn't include her. The story never feels like a deep dive into the Gucci family empire, with the script barely mentioning the fashion the company is known for.

Some of the soundtrack choices are so unbalanced. The one that really took me out was during Patrizia and Maurizio's wedding, which takes place in 1972. George Michael's 'Faith' plays... which was released in 1987. Not only over 10 years later, but it also just doesn't match the scene whatsoever.

'House of Gucci' never builds to its star-studded glamorous promise, and instead feels like a weighed-down drama. Gaga shines, but the rest of the cast just is having a competition as to who can do the worst Italian accent. Scott seems out of touch with the material here, and while the film is technically flawless, its run time makes the watch incredibly taxing.