Saw House of Gucci (2021), a somewhat parodic and somewhat histrionic film about the Gucci fashion brand. It's mostly about political and financial shenanigans pulled in beautiful mansions, penthouses, and cavernous marble restaurants. The most central character is Patricia Gucci who marries into the family with nakedly avaricious intent. The film follows her rise to power in spite of her gawky husband who just wants to be rich and unimportant. Because she is a woman in the 60s, she must seduce and flatter and beg him to do what she deems to be the financially sounds thing to do. This flattery and seduction however hides her true power and soon her creation gets away from her.
Contrast her struggle with the more broadly comical character of Paulo, the other son of the Gucci empire. Whereas Patricia has talent and brains, she lacks direct opportunity. Paulo has the opportunity but lacks the talent and the brains (as his father repeats twice in the film: "You're an idiot... but you're my idiot...") Patricia's husband has the opportunity but recognizes that he lacks the talent to run a global fashion empire. There's a theme of talent vs opportunity here.
Anyway, it's a fairly fun film. Much of it is a sort of high-style Godfather, with shady deals and shadowy financial problems that are sort of resolved off-screen. I didn't find it very funny, but I'm not much of a laugher lately. Paulo's malapropisms are funny and Patricia gets in some lines that are downright iconic ("In the name of the Father, the Son, and the House of Gucci" = I am dead.) The chilly fancy atmosphere is really the star of the show however.
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