There are a couple of paths a filmmaker could take in telling the story of the Gucci family, the clan behind the enduring high-fashion Italian label of the same name.
Ridley Scott strolls down neither of them.
Not smart enough to be truly interesting and not tawdry enough to be a guilty pleasure, his “House of Gucci” is about as bland as a story involving ambition, greed, betrayal and even murder can be.
It’s stylish, this fashion-forward film, and it boasts much for the eyes to absorb, from its Milan exteriors and shots of Italy’s Dolomite mountain range (standing in for the Alps) to its star-studded cast boasting the likes of Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and, last but not least, pop star Lady Gaga.
The presence of the “A Star Is Born” star — who puts everything she has into the role of the scheming Patrizia Reggiani, who marries into the family — may be enough for some.
But if neither she nor the world of fashion moves the needle much for you, “House of Gucci” does not offer much over what feels like more than its roughly two-and-a-half hours.
It begins in 1978 Milan — and will stretch into the mid-1990s, with Scott helping us find our era footing time and again through his use of pop songs of the particular day — with our introduction to Patrizia, whose curvaceous figure pleases a group of men working on the city streets.
Ultimately, though, she’s a nobody, but the seeds to change that fact are planted when she meets Driver’s Maurizio Gucci at a party.
Maurizio is studying law and isn’t all that interested in one day running the Gucci empire — a responsibility that, for the moment, is shared by two older men.
Maurizio’s father is the careful and conservative Rodolfo (Irons), one of two sons of company founder Guccio Gucci. By contrast, Rodolfo’s brother, Aldo (Pacino) is colorful and harbors wildly different ideas as to the direction to take the business.
To Rodolfo, less is more; to Aldo, more is more.
Maurizio needs a little nudging from Patrizia to ask her out — and that’s only after she engages in a bit of light stalking to encounter him a second time. She writes her number in lipstick on the windshield of his motorbike, and the two soon share a calzone and a kiss.
He quickly is smitten with her, a development that displeases his father, who forbids Maurizio from marrying her, Rodolfo fearing she primarily is interested in money.
Marry her he does, and estranged from the family they become. That is until Aldo works to reunite father and son when he pays a visit from his base of operations in New York City for his own birthday celebration.
Aldo has tension with his own son, Paolo (an unrecognizable Jared Leto), who dreams of becoming a fashion designer — a problem because he alone believes he has the talent for it. (A scene in which Irons directs him to ensure no one ever sees the designs Paolo has just shown him is one of the film’s few high points.)
Alliances form and shift over the course of “House of Gucci,” with Patrizia often at the center of these developments. At her urging, Maurizio does take an increasing interest in the company and, as time marches forward, wields more and more power within it.
Other key players include Jack Huston (“American Hustle”), as the family’s financial advisor, Domenico De Sole; Salma Hayek (“The Eternals”), as Pina Auriemma, a psychic who becomes Patrizia’s close friend and advisor; and Camille Cottin, as Paola Franchie (“Stillwater”), a childhood friend of Maurizio whose reconnection with him is a threat to Patrizia.
The best performances are turned in by Lady Gaga and Irons (HBO’s “Watchmen”), with Driver (“Marriage Story”) giving a workmanlike effort if nothing more.
And although he’s clearly often been great, veteran actor Pacino (“The Godfather,” “Scent of a Woman”) is in scene-chewing mode here. He’s a big but empty presence.
However, the real issue is with Leto, as the bald, slightly plump Paolo he is an embarrassingly cartoonish creation. We probably need to spread around the blame for this silly character, as the film’s production notes suggest the actor really wanted to look nothing like himself in “House of Gucci,” and the makeup and prosthetics folks obliged. Somebody — perhaps Scott — needed to stop this.
In his 80s, Scott (“Alien,” “Gladiator,” “The Martian”) continues to be a busy and impressive filmmaker — his rather strong “The Last Duel” hit theaters only a couple of months ago — and he rarely offers a clunker like “Gucci.”
According to the notes, Scott’s production company, Scott Free, acquired the feature rights to Sara Gay Forden’s 2001 nonfiction book “The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour and Greed” shortly after its publication. Furthermore, the notes say, Scott’s wife, Giannina — one of the producers — was taken with the family’s story and led the charge for the acquisition.
Perhaps that’s why “House of Gucci” — penned by screenwriters Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna — feels more like Scott crossing an item off his honey-do list than a film he was inspired to make.
‘House of Gucci’
Where: Theaters.
When: Nov. 24.
Rated: R for language, some sexual content, and brief nudity and violence.
Runtime: 2 hours, 38 minutes.
Stars (of four): 1.5.
