How Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci made designer Tom Ford laugh and then ‘sad for days’

Ridley Scott’s biographical drama House of Gucci released recently, and it has certainly got people talking. Of all the people voicing their opinions on the Lady Gaga and Adam Driver starring film, one voice stands out. Tom Ford, who served as luxury brand Gucci’s creative director for over a decade, spoke about how the film made him feel a spectrum of emotions.

In an essay he wrote for Air Mail, Ford opened up about what he found worthy of criticising in the film, while also appreciating it for its costumes, sets, cinematography and the portrayals of Gaga, Driver, Salma Hayek and Jeremy Irons.

There were points in the film, Ford said, that made him burst into laughter. As an example he offers a scene involving Al Pacino and Jared Leto, which he found akin to something found on the popular comedy sketch show, Saturday Night Live (SNL).

His scathing review also pointed to the inaccuracies and excess dramatization of various events in the film, saying that it felt as though several scenes were elaborated for the purpose of the actors to display their talents. He also corrected a scene in the film which involved Ford’s own character, played by Reeve Carney, and set the record straight on how it really played out.

Ford ended his piece with how the film left him feeling ‘sad for days’, stating the reason for it being that the film was based on events to which he had a personal connection. He expressed dissatisfaction with how the makers had handled the ‘tragic’ event insensitively.

House of Gucci is based on the real-life assassination of Maurizio Gucci by a hitman hired by his ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani.