The iconic Gucci fashion family has called out Ridley Scott’s upcoming House of Gucci film for its ‘shameful’ casting of Al Pacino. Scott’s latest project focuses on the turmoil that erupted within the family in the mid-1990s after the head of the luxury fashion house was gunned down. His ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani, was jailed in 1998 for orchestrating the murder.
Reggiani had hired an assassin to kill her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci, after he left her and her two children for a younger woman in 1985. Though she was originally sentenced to 29 years in prison, Reggiani’s term was reduced to 26 years in 2000, before she was ultimately released 16 years later for good behavior. The entire debacle had been a major news story at the time it occurred, and Scott’s film will mark the first time that the story has been told on the big screen. House of Gucci has a very impressive cast, with Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Salma Hayek and Jeremy Irons all on board. The production is currently filming in Italy, and so far, the general feeling is that the film will be an awards contender.
But not everyone is excited about the potential prospects for House of Gucci. According to AP News, the great grandchildren of Gucci founder, Guccio Gucci, have been left feeling betrayed as production continues on the film. Patrizia Gucci, second-cousin of the slain Maurizio believes that the new film pries into the lives of the Gucci family in order to make a profit. What’s more, Patrizia isn’t at all fond of how one actor in particular – Oscar-winning acting legend, Al Pacino, is portraying her grandfather:
My grandfather was a very handsome man, like all the Guccis, and very tall, blue eyes and very elegant. He is being played by Al Pacino, who is not very tall already, and this photo shows him as fat, short, with sideburns, really ugly. Shameful, because he doesn’t resemble him at all.
In addition to her feelings regarding Pacino’s look, Patrizia was also not pleased about Jared Leto’s turn as her father, Paolo. The character’s lilac corduroy suit and unkempt hair have left Patrizia feeling quite offended. What’s more, despite an attempt to have Scott’s wife, Giannina Facio clarify the direction that the film is heading in, there have currently been no replies. The Gucci family no longer owns the luxury fashion brand, but the immediate concern that Patrizia and other Gucci family members have with House of Gucci is that it is dragging a wide scope of family members into the story of Maurizio’s murder, regardless of how little they had to do with the tragic story. For now, Patrizia says that she and the rest of the family will wait to see the final cut of the film before deciding how to further proceed.
It’s understandable that Patrizia might feel that Scott is doing the Gucci family a disservice with House of Gucci. No one wants to see their loved ones misrepresented in a major motion picture by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. But it’s still very early to cast judgements on the film and it’s also worth remembering that real-life stories don’t have the narrative arc that a film requires. Sometimes liberties need to be taken with characters, timelines and individual stories in order to create something intriguing for audiences. Hopefully, any liberties that Scott may take don’t end up overshadowing the film’s more positive qualities.
Source: AP News