The Divaniamo: House of Gucci podcast, a missed opportunity

A small woman in a short dress walks by on a suburban street as everyone turns to look at her. She has dark glasses and curly hair, but one fire that burns in her is that she tastes like ambition. This is one of the first scenes of House of Gucci, Ridley Scott’s film that tells the behind the scenes of the event that shook the world of Italian fashion in the nineties: the murder of Maurizio Gucci, scion of one of the richest and most powerful families of the international jet set. The real protagonist of the film, however, is another: Patrizia Reggiani, the girl who bewitched Maurizio’s heart and who, several years later, commissioned his assassination. It has the face of Lady Gaga who, for the role, has already obtained a Golden Globe nomination although many are sure that he will double with that of the Oscar. The film, distributed by Egle Pictures, has been talked about for years. But what do we really need to know before we see it?

The eleventh episode of We divan, the Vanity Fair podcast dedicated to cinema and TV releases, tries to dig deep into a film that the world has been anxiously awaiting and that journalists from all over the world have competed to comment on, crushing it and promoting it almost equally measure: House of Gucci, inspired by the unauthorized book The House of Gucci: A True Story of Fashion, Greed, Crime by Sara Gay Forden, published in Italy by Garzanti. Beyond the story – the wealthy girl who finds the golden ticket by casually meeting the heir to a family worth billions -, Scott tries to investigate the psyche and frailty of a woman who becomes obsessed with power and control until her private life falls apart and a dangerous obsession begins to mature: getting Maurizio out of the way with the help of her friend Pina Auriemma.

Despite the strength of the plot, there are many things in Scott’s film that don’t convince: from the pseudo-sanctification of Patrizia Reggiani that Lady Gaga herself has partially confirmed in the interviews and in the promotional tour of the film at work onItalian accent done by the interpreters that left scholars and linguists of our language perplexed, up to an overly stereotyped and simplistic representation of our country. The biggest problem, however, is having thought of a blockbuster that loses sight of its focal point: that is, the story of what went through Patrizia’s mind before and after Maurizio’s murder was committed. The result is a film that entertains but does not strike, which amuses but without being impressed. Accomplice a script not always up to par, guest stars of the caliber of Salma Hayek used as stickers and the very high premises that accompanied her debut.

Have a good listening!

The Vanity Fair podcast «Divaniamo» is available on iTunes, Spreaker and Spotify.