From working as an office manager for her father’s firm to owning 50 percent interest in a billion-dollar company and spending 16 years in prison; this is “House of Gucci,” a two and a half hour drama that brings the popular saying ‘money is the root of all evil’ to a whole new level.

Starring many famous actors such as Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, the movie follows a true story about the family-owned luxury brand, “Gucci,” regarding its creation, and the evolution of the brand over time as family members pass and new ones step into the picture.

As someone who had zero background knowledge about the Gucci brand, or the history behind this movie, its compelling story line kept me intrigued throughout the long running time. Every scene was imperative to seeing the bigger picture and understanding the development of the characters and plot over time—something I could only understand once the end credits rolled.

Another highlight of the movie was the acting. While my dad and I–who both speak slavic languages–agreed that their accents sounded more slavic than Italian, the actors portrayed their emotions in an excellent fashion, and it translated beautifully across the screen. Lady Gaga did an exceptional job portraying Patrizia Reggiani by capturing her sass and money-fueled greed as she moved further into the Gucci family, and Adam Driver did an outstanding job portraying the evil-monster that was Maurizio Gucci, despite his sweet and charming facade.

For those wanting an action-packed movie where every scene keeps you on the edge of your seat, I would not recommend “House of Gucci” at all. The movie moves at a slow pace, but not in a negative way—in fact, the movie is stronger because of its length. The audience really has to hone in on the acting and pay close attention to every scene, because even the small details remain important as the movie progresses. 

Additionally, the movie does a fantastic job at showcasing the true power of money, and how it can corrupt the mind of an individual with the blink of an eye. One of the main characters, Patrizia Reggiani, started the movie as a daughter working for her father’s successful firm; however, the second she met Maurizio Gucci and learned that he was the grandson of Gucci’s founder, love and attraction quickly turned into greed and selfishness.

Yes, the two lovebirds developed an initial romance with a disregard to the money Maurizio owned, but as the movie progressed, and Maurizio re-entered the “house” of Gucci, Patrizia’s true colors began to show as the benefits of luxurious travel and being a millionaire started to seem pretty enticing to say the least.

I can’t blame Patrizia for enjoying the ever-lasting benefits of money, but I can blame her for not expecting the consequences. Money is evil, and while it may have corrupted her, it also corrupted the man she loved the most, leaving her alone with a daughter to raise and significantly less money than before, but still enough for someone to be jealous of her.

This is as much detail as I am willing to cover, because you truly must see the movie for yourself. I would go as far as to say that this is no doubt an Oscar worthy film. The acting is spectacular, the plot is intricate and exciting and all of the elements come together to form an enjoyable film that provides shocking evidence for the popular saying ‘money is the root of all evil.’