One For Them, One For Me - Ridley Scott's 2021 - "The Last Duel" vs. "House of Gucci"

A series by Christopher James.

Do one for them; do one for you. If you can still do projects for yourself, you can keep your soul.

— Martin Scorsese: A Journey

yHow great would it have been if "The Last Duel" was between Margurite and Patrizia Reggiani?

Though Ridley Scott was not nominated for either of his movies in 2021, they still cast some shadows on Oscar night. House of Gucci star Lady Gaga rounded out the night presenting Best Picture alongside living legend Liza Minnelli, a nod to the 50th anniversary of Cabaret. His other film, The Last Duel, was the subject of a joke by host Regina Hall, saying: “Now, I’ve got the screener for a never-before-seen film, not even by the director. It’s called, The Last Duel.” 

A year ago, both movies were expected to factor heavily in the Oscar race...

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Almost There: Lady Gaga in "House of Gucci"

by Cláudio Alves

Last time, in the Almost There series, I asked you to vote on what performance should be explored next. Mike Faist in West Side Story was the resounding victor. However, since Spielberg's musical is still not available to stream or rent, we'll first look at the runner-up choice from that poll. She's none other than Lady Gaga in House of Gucci. After scoring nominations with all major precursors, she seemed set for her second acting Oscar nod. However, as luck would have it, her outrageous awards campaign ended in a snub from the Academy. She might still win some trophies before the season is over, but that coveted little golden man is out of reach.

While it's easy to lose oneself in the glamour of the role and those ridiculous interviews, there's plenty to admire in Gaga's star turn as Patrizia Reggiani, ex-wife to Maurizio Gucci, who she had killed after an acrimonious separation…

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Lady Gaga's Best "House of Gucci" Looks

by Cláudio Alves

Despite the dynastic title, House of Gucci isn't a movie about fashion. Ridley Scott's no Bertrand Bonello when it comes to shooting beautiful designs, keeping his focus on the human intrigue happening around the clothes, reducing them to an attention-pulling ornament. But, of course, that doesn't mean the costumes aren't gorgeous or anything less than perfect. Reuniting with Scott, costume designer Janty Yates constructed an epic movie wardrobe made up of vintage Gucci, pieces from its lead actress's archival collection, countless custom fits, a cornucopia of deadly glamour. Amid the luxury, Lady Gaga stands out in the role of Patrizia Reggiani, shining like an Elizabeth Taylor diamond, dressed to kill. 

Because lists are fun and everyone loves a ranking, let's explore Lady Gaga's extensive wardrobe in House of Gucci by looking at her top 10 looks…

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Venice Diary #07 - "The Last Duel" and the last movies of the fest

by Elisa Giudici

Michael Myers is back in "Halloween Kills"

Final day!  I hope you are ready because in this entry I am going to cover all the movies I saw in the last two days of the Venice Film Festival. Eight movies, from European arthouse cinema to Hollywood blockbusters, with some solid performances, an instant cult, and the only major disappointment of this incredible edition of the Mostra.

I'll try to keep it short because of the lack of sleep. An inside joke between my roommate and me this year was that the Filipino movie with its 208 minutes of length lasted longer than our typical night of sleep in the last two weeks...

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Is 2021 the year of Adam Driver?

by Cláudio Alves

Leos Carax's Annette hits streaming today. You can watch this year's Cannes Best Director prize-winning feature on Amazon Prime Video and bask in all its insanity. The picture has proven pretty divisive, which is no surprise. Many of the director's anti-naturalistic choices and the Sparks' off-kilter music have been at the center of praise and pans. But, along with them, the most contested element of Annette seems to be its leading man, Adam Driver, whose performance goes to extremes of operatic grandeur intersected by American realism, aggressive anti-comedy, a guttural plunge into the depths of self-hatred. It's a big performance, maybe the biggest in the actor's career, so vast in risks and pitfalls, one can't help but admire the ambition. Annette also represents the first of three major projects the actor has coming out in 2021, marking this year as one of the potential high points in Driver's ever-growing career…

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