When a friend of mine told me House of Gucci was “over-the-top”, I knew I had to see it right away. Because that is what Gucci is—if a movie telling me the story about one of the most sought-after luxury brands in history and the crazy love story behind it is not screaming with over-the-top-ness, then do I really even bother wanting to go see it? Not to mention, I always love Lady Gaga and cannot wait to witness how her career evolves taking on fun roles like Patrizia Reggiani; watching her pull of an Italian accent throughout was enjoyable to say the least.
You are introduced quickly to Patrizia in the beginning and her simple life working for her father’s trucking company as a secretary by day (while also driving a pretty awesome Fiat 124), and the next thing you know by night she is shoulder to shoulder with the upper echelon of Italy dancing the night away, literally to Donna Summer (the soundtrack is also worth a listen and available as a playlist on Spotify and Apple Music). Little does she realize the man she luckily shares a dance with is the Maurizio Gucci (it pays to be young and beautiful!).
After her midnight dance with the devil and some due diligence (you could maybe call it stalking), Patrizia ends up following Gucci to his school’s library where he finds her basically ready take his hand in marriage right then and there, hiding behind a shelf of books. But with the complicatedness of family and legacy of the Gucci name, Maurizio cannot just marry anyone; a simple girl like Patrizia would not be sufficient for his father Rodolfo.
A rebellious and stubborn Maurizio, known to go against his family 99% of the time, shockingly gives up his life of riches to marry the love of his life against his father’s will. With only a few suitcases, he takes on the simpleness of Patrizia’s mundane day-today working for her father–which goes to show how beautiful “love” can be in the moment.
(The original wedding photo of Maurizio Gucci and Patrizia Reggiani, photo via The Guardian)
It remains unclear if Patrizia was in it for love or for the money and the Gucci name. What can you really expect for a woman who gets all her life advice from a local psychic (played by Salma Hayek)?
Patrizia always seemed to push Maurizio to go back “in” with his family via Rodolfo’s brother Aldo (played by Al Pacino) in New York City—something about the way her eyes lit up with all the perks of free Gucci bags, paparazzi, and fancy Manhattan apartment stays when they came to visit from Italy.
But as every love story goes, nothing can last forever. As soon as Maurizio officially took over being the head of Gucci after his father’s passing, the once sweet man we saw in the beginning turned ice cold, later moving to a vacation house in the Alps while him and Patrizia were separated. The lavish life that Patrizia wanted so bad was suddenly gone in what seemed like an instant—something she would NOT let go quietly (hence the assassins!).
Throughout the chaotic story, an A-List cast each has their own quirkiness and special part that makes the movie fulfilling. My favorite, the underdog and “black sheep” of the family, Paolo (played by Jared Leto), whose passion is always outshone by his siblings, father, or uncle, remains one of the only innately “true” Guccis of them all with his art and vision; his character adds a bit of authenticity to the family that is otherwise pretty straight and narrow.
If you appreciate any movie based on a true story or are just a lover of fashion in general, definitely go see House of Gucci. The outfits, the drama, the cars, the vengeance, the European landscapes—plus: who doesn’t want to see Lady Gaga impersonating a crazy Italian woman for 2 hours alongside Al Pacino?
