HOUSE OF GUCCI (2022)
Label: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Duration: 158 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French Canadian DTS Digital Surround 5.1, Latin American Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Jack Huston with Salma Hayek and Al Pacino
Directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) and based on the best-selling novel, The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden, the film takes us deep into the fascinating story behind the Gucci fashion brand and the shocking true-life events that nearly brought it to it's knees. We have Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born), the gold-digging daughter from a small time trucking business family who skillfully manipulates and chance encounter with the slightly awkward Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver, The Dead Won't Die), the son of Italian designer Rodolfo Gucci (Jeremy Irons, Kafka) at a party into a marriage into one of the most famous fashion houses of the 80's, much to the chagrin of Rodolfo, a man who knows a gold-digger when he sees one. Despite pops disapproving of their relationship and cutting off his son from the business, Patrizia nonetheless forces her way into the fashion end of the family via Maurizio's uncle Aldo (Al Pacino, Cruising) and his eccentric, fashion-challenged, dipshit son son Paulo (Jared Leto, Requiem For A Dream), which triggers a wild downward spiral of fashion family dysfunction and betrayal, including a murder plot involving a TV psychic (Salma Hyek, From Dusk Till Dawn)!
While I am not fashion minded and have no interest in fashion happenings, I am a Ridley Scott fan from way back and this ensemble cast is bonkers good, so I was in from the get-go. Fashion politics aside at it's heart it's a deliciously sordid tale of fashion palace intrigue, and it makes for a fascinating story told with all the fashion, luxury and wealth you would imagine. Gaga and Driver play it straight, but for me the real fun here is watching Pacino and Leto (in crazy good make-up FX that render him unrecognizable) chew up the fucking scenery together and apart, especially Leto whose Italian affectations sound like a Italian send up to my ears, it was a lot of fun, and on top of that's is a genuinely engaging story that was ripped from the headlines.
Audio/Video: House of Gucci (2022) arrives on Blu-ray from Universal Picture Home Entertainment in 1080p HD framed in 2.39:1 widescreen. This is a stellar HD release with sharp, vibrant and brilliantly hued visuals that pop off the screen. It's a bit sad this has not yet received a proper UHD disc, it would be outstanding with Dolby Vision HDR10, but in the meantime this 1080p Blu-ray is fantastic with gorgeous fine detail and textures in the close-ups and inky blacks. Like wise the uncompressed English DTS-HD MA 7.1 offers a pleasing surround sound mix that won't give your system a workout - it's a largely dialogue driven film - but the surrounds to create an immersive experience with a sound design that puts you in each room and environment with the appropriate acoustics.
Extras include three featurettes totaling about 20 minutes exploring the themes of the film, Lady Gaga's performance and the costuming, none of which is overly deep but still appreciated. The 2-disc DVD/Blu-ray release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork and a slipcover with the same artwork, and inside you will find a code for a digital copy of the film.
Special Features:
- The Rise of the House of Gucci – Go behind the scenes to discover how Ridley Scott’s vision of this astonishing story fell into place. (10 min) HD
- The Lady of the House – An up-close look at Lady Gaga’s performance as Patrizia Reggiani and how her powerhouse charisma and unwavering dedication breathe life into this complex character. (6 min) HD
- Styling House of Gucci – A deep dive into the visual delights of the film, from aesthetics to attitude. (6 min) HD
House of Gucci (2022) is a terrific bit of 'based on a true story' fashion intrigue that gets a wonderful 1080p presentation from UPHE, this comes highly recommended, it did not disappoint.
