Gucci Family Denounces Portrayal In ‘House Of Gucci’ — The Controversy Explained - Forbes

Topline

Ridley Scott’s new crime drama House of Gucci has divided critics and audiences alike since its U.S. release last week, but one group is unambiguous about its dislike of the movie: the Gucci family itself, which released a statement Monday condemning the depiction of the family as an “insult” and “far from accurate.”

Key Facts

The descendants of patriarch Aldo Gucci, who served as the fashion house’s chairman from 1953 to 1986 and is portrayed by Al Pacino in the film, said in a statement to Italian news agency ANSA the movie depicts Gucci and his family as “thugs, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them, attributing to the protagonists, events, a tone and an attitude that never belonged to them.”

According to an English translation of the statement published by Variety, family members said they were “disconcerted” by House of Gucci, and that they were not consulted by the filmmakers.

They criticized the “indulgent tone” used for Lady Gaga’s character Patrizia Reggiani, who was convicted of murdering her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci and spent 16 years in prison.

The Guccis said it was “objectionable” that Reggiani is portrayed as a “victim” trying to navigate “a masculine and macho corporate culture.”

Key Background

House of Gucci is a dramatized account of how Reggiani planned to kill her husband, Aldo’s nephew Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver, and based on the book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden. The Gucci family has long been critical of the film, describing it as “horrible” and “ugly” when it was still in the production stages. Reggiani has also spoken out against the movie, telling ANSA she was “annoyed” Lady Gaga did not meet with her before portraying her onscreen. “It’s nothing to do with money because I won’t be taking a single cent from the film,” Reggiani said. “It’s about common sense and respect.”

Contra

Director Ridley Scott has brushed off the criticisms of House of Gucci. “You have to remember that one Gucci was murdered and another went to jail for tax evasion so you can’t be talking to me about making a profit,” he told the BBC.

Tangent

Many viewers have also been critical of the actors’ Italian accents in the film. Gaga apparently spent nine months working on her accent on and off camera, but a dialect coach who worked on the movie admitted to The Daily Beast “it sounds more Russian.”

Chief Critic

Overall reviews for the film have been decidedly mixed, with critics calling it an “expensive, self-indulgent bauble,” “a glossy glorious mess” and “a titillating, ridiculous and utterly engrossing soap opera.” Gaga’s performance has largely been praised, however, and is generating Oscar buzz as awards season gears up.