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The Gucci family and Tom Ford aren't big fans of the 'House of Gucci' movie

“Was it a farce or a gripping tale of greed? I often laughed out loud, but was I supposed to?” Ford wrote in an essay.
Image: Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani in "House of Gucci."
Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani in "House of Gucci."MGM

Turns out not all art is great at imitating life.

At least according to some members of the Gucci family and designer Tom Ford, who are not the biggest fans of the new Ridley Scott film, "House of Gucci."

The film, which debuted in theaters Wednesday, follows the relationship between Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) and Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) and the fight for control of Gucci's fashion house. The star-studded cast also includes Jared Leto, Salma Hayek and Al Pacino.

“The production of the film did not bother to consult the heirs before describing Aldo Gucci — president of the company for 30 years [played by Al Pacino in the film] — and the members of the Gucci family as thugs, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them,” members of the Gucci family said in a statement, Variety reported.

The Gucci family said the film attributes "an attitude to the protagonists of the well-known events that never belonged to them,” adding that it was "extremely painful from a human point of view and an insult to the legacy on which the brand is built today."

Ford, who was Gucci's creative director from 1994 to 2004, shared similar criticism in an essay published Saturday on Air Mail.

"The film is ... well, I’m still not quite sure what it is exactly, but somehow I felt as though I had lived through a hurricane when I left the theater," Ford wrote. “Was it a farce or a gripping tale of greed? I often laughed out loud, but was I supposed to?”

Ford, who was portrayed in the film by Reeve Carney, praised Driver's and Gaga's performances, describing Gaga as "the true star of the film" who "steals the show."

But he compared some other cast members' portrayals to performances in a skit on “Saturday Night Live.”

“At times, when Al Pacino, as Aldo Gucci, and Jared Leto, as Aldo’s son Paolo Gucci, were on-screen, I was not completely sure that I wasn’t watching a ‘Saturday Night Live’ version of the tale."

Several days after he watched the film, Ford said he was "deeply sad" as someone who lived through the experience, adding that it was difficult to see the "humor and camp in something that was so bloody."

Still, Ford said he thinks the film will be a "hit," citing the movie's cast, costumes and cinematography.

"Splash the Gucci name across things and they usually sell," he wrote.

Representatives for Ford and the Gucci family did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.