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Sunday 12/19 Vincent Zorn. Enjoy brunch with live music. Free, noon. South and Central Latin Grill, 946 Grady Ave., Suite 104. southand centralgrill.com.
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Fun house Gucci fashion family drama is a cheap thrill
stage It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. See listing for Friday, December 17. $10-18, 2:30pm. Four County Players, Barboursville Community Center, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org.
classes Yoga in the Barn. Join Salute the Sun Yoga for a 60-minute vinyasa flow in the beautiful barn. Free, 11am. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarm andwinery.com.
etc. Paramount at the Movies Presents: A Christmas Story. A holiday classic for the ages. $5-8, 1pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net. Paramount Presents: Fifth Annual Brew & Buddy Run and Elf. Presented in partnership with Champion Brewing Company and Three Notch’d Brewing Company, this fun run and movie screening is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. $5-25, 4:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net.
Monday 12/20
Musica Sacra Virginia: Music For Advent. Sacred choral music from throughout the ages. Free-$20, 7pm. Holy Comforter Catholic Church, 208 E. Jefferson St. music asacravirginia.org.
dance English Country Dance. Partake in some English country dancing, or just come to enjoy the performance. Free, 1pm. The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Blvd. thecentercville.org.
classes Meditation on the Lawn. A virtual drop-in meditation or guided reflection hosted by the Contemplative Sciences Center. Free, 7:45am. Online. csc.virginia.edu.
music Vincent Zorn. Enjoy great food, tequila, and mescal paired with some wild gypsy rumba. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com.
English Country Dance. See listing for Monday, December 20. Free, 1pm. The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Blvd. thecenter cville.org.
etc. Paramount Presents: Holiday Evening Candlelight Tours of the Historic Theater. See listing for Friday, December 17. $15-25, 5pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net.
arts@c-ville.com
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ouse of Gucci, the second film released in the past two months from director Ridley Scott, is fun to watch. The movie isn’t great, and it isn’t terrible, but it’s full of eye candy. (Scott’s other recent film, The Last Duel, was delayed by the pandemic and released in October this year, and features Ben Affleck and Matt Damon sporting haircuts far less fashionable than the group in Gucci.) House of Gucci follows the true story of Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) and his tumultuous marriage to Patrizia Gucci, née Reggiani (Lady Gaga). The story begins in 1978, when Patrizia meets Maurizio at a party and falls for him—even harder after learning the awkward, bespectacled Maurizio is a Gucci and an heir to the fashion family fortune. Their relationship causes a rift in the Gucci family, but Maurizio follows his heart and risks losing his inheritance when he marries Patrizia. The couple settles into a blue-collar life—he becomes a truck driver, unthinkable for a man with his lineage. But when Patri-
zia becomes pregnant, she uses it as leverage to reconnect with the Gucci clan, and the pair is welcomed back into the fold. The film then dives in to a whirlwind of scandals, reconciliations, and murder. The Gucci name is synonymous with luxury and extravagance, and it’s repeated over and over to frame the family’s societal reach. Gaga’s powerful performance is spotlighted as she fights to use the name, and to be accepted as a Gucci—usually while shoving her wedding rings in whomever’s face she thinks needs to see them. The true joy of watching House of Gucci comes from the disjointed and endlessly entertaining performances. As Maurizio, Driver does his best to be warm and understated, a sheepish guy who is willing to do just about anything to make his lover happy. (This very well could be the film where Driver smiles the most.) Gaga, meanwhile, lays it on thick as a passionate but occasionally unbalanced Italian who speaks more with her hands than with her mouth. Jared Leto, caked with cosmetics, plays cousin Paulo. He completely embodies the incompetent Paolo, to the point where it becomes a detriment to the film’s cohesion.
Every single choice Leto makes is distracting, from his Mario Brothers accent to his cartoonish physicality. Aside from a brief runway show with new designer Tom Ford (Reeve Carney), House of Gucci seems uninterested in fashion, a perplexing choice for a movie about fashion’s first family. There is discussion of the famous Gucci scarf design, and Paulo shows off his own questionable designs every time he’s on screen, but these sarto-
House of Gucci R, 158 minutes
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Regal Stonefield & IMAX, Violet Crown Cinema
rial inclusions are used more as framing devices than as an appreciation of clothes. Even with the colorful performances and juicy source material, House of Gucci manages to be a little dull. Maurizio and Patrizia’s relationship spans decades, and Scott drags us through every bump and reconciliation. At two hours and 38 minutes, the film shuffles along at its own pace, but it’s still enough campy fun to earn our attention.
Gaga’s powerful performance is spotlighted as she fights to use the name, and to be accepted as a Gucci—usually while shoving her wedding rings in whomever’s face she thinks needs to see them.
facebook.com/cville.weekly
dance
By Deirdre Crimmins
@cville_culture
Tuesday 12/21
Lady Gaga and Adam Driver star in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci.
December 15 – 21, 2021 c-ville.com
Monday Music Series. Enjoy delicious food and drink paired with live Latin music from Vincent Zorn, Berto & Vincent, or Beleza. Free, 7pm. South and Central Latin Grill, 946 Grady Ave., Suite 104. southandcentralgrill.com.
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