First reactions to ‘House of Gucci’ are in after London premiere
Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Jared Leto were in attendance at Odeon Leicester Square last night (November 9)
By Joe Goggins
The first reactions to House of Gucci have hit social media after the hotly-anticipated biopic premiered in London last night (November 9).
Stars including Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Jared Leto were in attendance at Odeon Leicester Square last night for the world premiere of Ridley Scott’s film, which charts the stormy relationship between the one-time head of the high-fashion house, Maurizio Gucci (Driver) and his wife, Patrizia Reggiani (Gaga), who spent 16 years in jail for orchestrating her husband’s murder.
Opinion was polarised among both fans and critics, with Variety’s Clayton Davis describing it as “instantly them most quotable/meme-able move since Borat.”
“HouseOfGucci is quite the animal. Campy, everything Ridley Scott wanted The Counselor to be but wasn’t able to. Will be divided by many. Lady Gaga eats every morsel of her role up. Instantly the most quotable/meme-able movie since ‘Borat.’ Jared Leto best since his Oscar win,” he wrote.
Observer.com’s Brandon Katz was less positive, tweeting: “House of Gucci is an overwrought slog without any discernible direction. Too many narrative focuses stacked on top of one another. Glitzy talented names hamming it up in wealth porn can be fun, but not enough to save the movie from its own messiness.”
The performances from a powerhouse ensemble cast were largely praised, particularly those from Driver, Leto, Al Pacino and Gaga, the latter of whom claimed to have gone method for nine months. “GUCCI!” said Erik Davis of Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes. “#HouseOfGucci has a definite GODFATHER vibe, rich w/ family betrayal, transformative performances, lots of backstabbing & it’s definitely more serious than it is campy. Lady Gaga is incredible, as is Jared Leto, and the story is WILD! The attention to detail is impeccable.”
Elsewhere, the film was criticised for its 164-minute running time, with We Live Entertainment’s Scott Menzel calling it “a bloated & uneven mess that feels like two different movies rolled in one.”
‘House of Gucci’ is released in UK cinemas on November 26, in what is the fashion company’s centenary year.