Big Picture Big Sound

Ridley Scott, who is turning 84 years old next week, released two big star-studded movies in the span of just a month. Certainly, that can be attributed to release schedules being reshuffled, but it's an impressive feat for the longtime director to continue making such large-in-scope movies, especially in an age where the movies he makes are losing their footprint at the box office. His newest, "House of Gucci," follows October's "The Last Duel" and brings another starry cast to the big screen with curious and puzzling results.

Scott tends to be associated with science fiction movies because of "Alien" or "Blade Runner," but the director's overall filmography doesn't necessarily show that he prefers to work in any particular type of genre. His most famous works might be sci-fi movies, but he has made everything from epics ("Gladiator") to character pieces ("Thelma and Louise" and the underrated "Matchstick Men"). With "House of Gucci" Scott shifts back in the direction of working with characters, not large action set pieces, but his latest does have the grand ambitions of a 70s drama.

On paper, everything about "House of Gucci" should have been a home run: the cast, the true crime story, the lavish costumes and sumptuous locations. The ingredients are there, but "House of Gucci" fails to find a pulse and establish a sense of momentum in telling its expansive story. The movie clocks in at two hours and 40 minutes, and every moment of the runtime is felt (conversely, Scott's "The Last Duel" from October runs the same length and has a thrilling sense of pacing).

Lady Gaga returns to the big screen as Patrizia Reggiani, who works for her father's trucking company. She meets Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver, who was in "The Last Duel") at a party and strikes up a flirty rapport with him. Maurizio seems a bit shy and reserved, never in a hurry to flaunt his last name or his father Rodolfo's (Jeremy Irons) money and success. Patrizia pursues Maurizio and they begin dating and ultimately getting married, much to the dismay of Rodolfo.

Patrizia enmeshes herself in the Gucci family, which is filled with its share of eccentric characters, from Maurizio's uncle Aldo (Al Pacino) to his cousin Paolo (Jared Leto). She might not have been wooed by Maurizio's last name from the start, but Patrizia makes herself a part of the family's business and her ambition overtakes her and eventually spirals into dangerous territory.

Driver is the straight man of the cast, but everyone else is having the time of their life playing such large characters. Lady Gaga makes good on the promise she showed in 2018's "A Star is Born," which deservedly earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress (she took home an Oscar for Best Original Song). In just two movies, she has turned herself into a formidable leading lady, who is not overshadowed by her massive celebrity. A lot could be said about Leto's performance, which feels beamed in from a movie on a different planet. It's not a performance that can easily be deemed good or bad, but rest assured, it must be experienced.

It's unfortunate when you can see everything that makes a good movie at work on the screen, but it never comes together in a satisfying final product. "House of Gucci" is a slog, rarely sparking in its story but kept on life support by the cast. "House of Gucci" is one of the big letdowns of the year.