Matt

Lady Gaga sat down with Michael Strahan on Good Morning America to discuss her new movie House of Gucci, her latest album Chromatica, and the tragic events regarding her dogs that happened earlier this year. “It’s wonderful to be in the Oscars conversation,” Gaga remarked as Strahan mentioned the Best Actress buzz surrounding her performance as Patrizia Reggiani. “By nature, I’m more competitive with myself than I am with other people, but I feel really blessed and very honoured to be in this movie.” The film tells the story of Patrizia Reggiani, played by Gaga, who in 1998 was convicted of orchestrating the murder of her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci (Driver), head of the high-profile Gucci fashion house. When asked about why she had not met Reggiani yet, Gaga said, “I could tell very quickly that this woman wanted to be glorified for this murder… I didn’t want to collude with something that I don’t believe in. She did have her husband murdered.” Gaga and Strahan also touched upon her latest studio album, Chromatica, released in 2020. “When I made it, I was pushing myself to write music because I was really sad. I didn’t even want to create. I think that that, as a performer, is a real signal that something’s off.” Strahan went on to ask about the tragic incident which saw Gaga’s dogs kidnapped and her dog walker Ryan Fischer shot. “In addition to being so grateful that my dogs are alive, I am grateful that my friend Ryan Fisher is alive,” Gaga responded. “The fact that he was shot was so outrageous and painful, and I pray for his healing all the time”. During a speed round, Gaga revealed that the best thing that has happened for her this year is “love”, referring to her boyfriend Michael Polansky. Closing off the interview, when asked what’s next for her, she lovingly remarked, “I’d like to spend the next decades of my life learning how to mobilize myself and those watching to build a kinder and braver world”. More of Gaga’s interview with Strahan will be aired this evening on Nightline. You can rewatch the GMA interview below. Lady Gaga later joined the cast to do a further interview.

Legendary director Ridley Scott has been interviewed by Deadline regarding his upcoming movie House of Gucci. During the interview, Ridley discussed the making of the movie and praised the main star: Lady Gaga. You can read an excerpt of the interview below. DEADLINE: You just worked with Adam Driver in The Last Duel, and given his height and physical resemblance, you can see why he makes a terrific Maurizio. But this movie hinges on Patrizia’s social climbing and ambition and the consequences of her being cut out of that Gucci clan. How did you settle on Lady Gaga? She got an Oscar nomination for A Star Is Born, but that was in a musical venue she knows so well. This is different… SCOTT: Yeah, she can certainly fucking sing. Wow. If I’d been doing this 40 years ago, it would’ve been Elizabeth Taylor. Patrizia looked like Liz Taylor, and she was small, and her husband was 6-foot-4. Adam Driver’s 6-foot-fucking-4. It’s almost like Adam is the straight man and Patrizia gets all the laughs, but you need the straight man for the laughs to work, and her evolution is a shock, when she steps across the line, certainly as you get into the end of the first act, and you start to sense that this may be going somewhere I didn’t expect. Now, I believe when she set eyes on Maurizio, she knew he was a Gucci. Define love. Does love come with the trappings of a crown? She was 23 or 24, and she wasn’t a gold digger yet, but she was getting there. I had a funny feeling that if your father’s in transportation in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, do you think he’s connected in Italy? I don’t want to say it, but it’s feasible. On the perimeter of connected? How could he not be? So, she moved in kind of flashy circles where aristocrats love to fuck around at that level, don’t they? Have you noticed that? DEADLINE: Yes. SCOTT: They love to fuck around with the bad boys, don’t they? And so, I think she was always on the lookout for a special boyfriend, but I think what was surprising was, Maurizio was so polite. She had never been treated with such respect, and so, at the bar when he meets her, he [introduces himself] and says ‘Maurizio, Maurizio Gucci.’ That is when they meet, he is behind I said, don’t say Gucci. Let her discover in the newspaper who he was. Let her be impressed by the fact he’s so polite and so nice, and say I’ll make you the drink, but charming, and can he dance? No. I mean, he’s also very honest. There’s nothing worse than a guy who can’t dance, pretending he can. Nothing worse. There’s no way I will go near a dance floor, and my wife is Costa Rican. What can I tell you? I look like a fucking idiot, right? So, it’s best not to dance. So, that’s how it started, and then their relationship evolved. I think Adam is maybe one of the finest actors we have today. Because he moves from being a bad boy in The Last Duel where my investment in the orgies in that film was done for a reason. It showed a social order that at these houses of great wealth and privilege, post-dinner wouldn’t be a cigar and cigarettes and some brandy. It might be, let’s adjourn to the bedroom and anybody who comes in the bedroom had better partake in what’s going to happen, an orgy. That was quite common. So, that’s the investment in that, and therefore because Adam is playing a guy who was used to this state of play, who assumes that any woman will faint and fuck him and do what he has to do and open her legs and that’s it. And where he got it wrong was…he even says it in a sentence. He says, in awe, to Ben Affleck playing Pierre, he said well, were there objections? He said ‘well, she’s a woman. Of course she pretended to object. Of course she objected. She is a woman.’ That’s the way he put it. You go, what? One wonders how much we’ve learned historically from where we are today. DEADLINE: What most surprised you about Lady Gaga and the work she put into this character? SCOTT: Oh. I mean, I work like a fucking demon, but she and I were really very good for each other because she keeps up. She’s on everything. It became more and more enjoyable because, singers can be a bit fragile. This is a big movie, and some singers have not made that transition. They make it in music, they do it quite well. I’m not going to name singers, but when a singer goes onto film, they can evaporate. Somehow, they haven’t got the presence. Not her. She’s right there, and she knows the camera. She’s used to that, from being a performer on stage. Have you ever seen one of her shows? DEADLINE: Not in person. SCOTT: Well, you’d have to go to Las Vegas, but it’s like that. And then there is the jazz show she does with Tony Bennett, who loves her like a dad. But this other show is from an entirely different universe, and the Las Vegas crowd flocks to see her. So, she’s a multitalented, multifaceted producer, really, apart from being a performer. My hat came off to her, because I could see she knows exactly what she’s doing. And I know exactly what I’m doing. It was a very good marriage. She loved the fact we moved like lightning. We did the film in 42 days, and came in $5 million under budget. Read the whole interview on Deadline.com

This first part of the review is spoiler-free, but keep in mind that there will be a short part at the end where I'm going to discuss some scenes of the movie. Skip that part if you don't want to read any details about the movie. A few days ago, I had the privilege to attend the first premiere of Lady Gaga's upcoming movie, "House of Gucci", in London. Lady Gaga herself attended the event, along with her co-stars Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Salma Hayek, and Jeremy Irons. The event made the whole city vibrate like few events in the past. People climbed up to the rooftops of the pubs around the square just to get a glimpse of the star that everyone was waiting for. And then she arrived. A sexy fierce queen dressed in purple walked right inside the theater knowing that everyone was just waiting for her and the performance that she was about to deliver. With the stars in the audience, the screening was filled with cheer and applause periodically during memorable scenes. Even Gaga herself dared to start a round of applause for Jeremy Irons and Salma Hayek during two different epic scenes. As soon as the movie ended, a 5-minute long standing ovation followed the credits scenes, leaving everyone discussing their opinions about the movie. House of Gucci, the 27th movie from iconic director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Hannibal, Prometheus), has everything you need and more, but also lots of things that you didn’t ask for and that maybe will make you fall in love. The movie is lots of things: it’s fun, it’s dramatic, it’s exaggerated, it’s long, and it’s super entertaining. But, it’s also very different from what you expect, and will surely make some eyes roll from the very beginning, though no one can deny that it stands out and sets itself apart from any recent movies you might have seen. House of Gucci is long enough to allow the director to make the mood of the whole movie switch multiple times from vibes of “Marriage Story” to “American Crime Story: Versace” and then again from “Green Book” to “Knives Out”. This movie has everything and more, and Ridley managed to keep the rhythm of the movie so engaging, that time flies and you never get bored, not even for a minute. Lady Gaga is sensational. She makes you laugh, she makes you cry, and she makes you gasp so many times, that you almost start rooting for her. The way she portrayed Patrizia is something that she has never done before; not only does she give the character an insane depth, she also makes you connect to her story in such a deep way that you almost feel like you are seeing the rise and fall of a close relative. It is light years away from the character of Ally (A star is Born), and just a few planets away from The Countess (American Horror Story). Lady Gaga manages to give this new alter-ego her own life. Even if it might take a few scenes for Lady Gaga & Adam Driver’s chemistry to shine, as the film progresses it becomes something so real, that it feels like you’ve been struggling with their story as well, as if you lived it with them. I might say that It is a different story for Al Pacino. Each scene with the legendary actor is just perfection. The man is so great that everyone around him becomes great as well, even the funny (albeit sometimes out of place) Jared Leto, to whom the director reserved the role of the funny/dummy sidekick. What stands out the most, is the chemistry between Lady Gaga and Salma Hayek. The friendship they built behind the scenes is so real, that it turned into a sensational connection in all their scenes together that you almost desire to see a Netflix spin-off of their adventures. I’m almost certain that the general public will LOVE this movie a lot. Twitter stans will eat it up instantly, thanks to the plenty of iconic scenes with funny and shady moments. It might not become a viral blockbuster, but it’s also right that way. House of Gucci is meant to be an experimental movie that will divide the critics, but it will surely make everyone entertained and mark another milestone in Lady Gaga’s career with a second, and well-deserved, Best Actress Oscar nomination. Minor Spoiler Section. The critiques I offer towards the film, are from rumors that were born during the making of the movie. Lady Gaga does not break the 4th wall and she definitely does not narrate the movie. She just introduces the movie with the speech you hear in the trailer, but that’s it. This weird rumor made my hype decrease a little bit, even if you realize later that it would be totally out of place. A funny thing that you can notice about this movie (remembering the candids from the sets of a few months ago), is that almost all the scenes have been recorded in the same order that they appear in the film. It explains so well why the whole movie becomes better and better the more it goes forward. Although the cast (and their chemistry) doesn’t sparkle in the first scenes, it solidifies and shines brighter than the sun later in the movie. That does highlight the audience’s feeling of growth along with the relationships themselves, as we see them blossom on screen throughout the film. The big debate and critiquing of Gaga’s accent shouldn’t even exist when the other actors paled in comparison with theirs (except for Al Pacino of course). On the contrary, her accent is super credible and also very accurate, especially in these scenes where she has to talk in Italian. A disappointment regarding the film is that many scenes of the trailer are not in the movie, and some of the most iconic scenes are cut. The part where she talks about “unconventional punishments” isn’t there, nor the disco scene with the blue outfit and the drag queens, nor the newest scene of gaga's incident. What makes the movie a bit unconventional is that the first part is super fast, meanwhile, the second part is diluted over many years and they give you time to process them. If Gaga’s acting doesn’t convince you at first, trust me, it will later in the movie with all scenes that fit her the best. Especially the dramatic ones. Towards the end, you can see Patrizia broken, and suffering while surviving in a way that you empathise with her so much that you have to applaud the remarkable acting by Gaga. She has solicited her title as Actress. What I loved the most about her performance is that Patrizia gets labeled as a “gold digger” instantly, and for the whole movie, Lady Gaga makes you believe that she was not just that, but someone way more profound and real. Many will take the opportunity to trash this movie and compare it to A Star is Born because the chemistry between the two main actors is way too different from the chemistry that Gaga and Bradley had; but that would be like comparing “The Fame” with “Love For Sale”. Two different projects, with two different meanings, made with different purposes. Even if this movie won’t have the same magnitude as the previous one, it will surely be remembered as the one that turned Lady Gaga into a more mature and accomplished actress. - Matteo, LGN

Graham Norton shared two clips from tonight's episode with Lady Gaga & Adam Driver. You can watch the two clips below.

Lady Gaga has unveiled her latest project, a TV special focused on those who struggle with mental health issues. In the program, Gaaga discusses mental illness, health, and talks to those who struggle daily. Content warning: This video mentions depression, self-harm, suicide, and suicidal ideation, which may be triggering to survivors or to the loved ones of victims. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please seek support. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24-hours a day at 1-800-273-8255 for assistance. Find resources for mental health support at bornthisway.foundation/get-help-now/.

Lady Gaga and director Ridley Scott have been interviewed by The New York Times, to discuss House of Gucci, the upcoming movie of the director that will star Lady Gaga as the main character. You can read an excerpt of the interview below: Talk to me about staying in Patrizia’s accent for so many months. Was that tiring? GAGA I think it would have done more of a number on me had I not practiced it so much. I would be talking like this with my mother, with friends, so that I, Stefani, could speak like this and it would be totally natural. It’s like muscle memory, so that when you’re in the scene, the accent is not in the way of the visceral quality of what’s happening in the room. If I had a jazz show next week, if I don’t rehearse ahead of time, my voice is not ready for the show. My approach to this was not different than my commitment to music. But I want to be clear: I don’t think it’s about sensationalizing method acting or being in character as the only way to do things. It would have been harder for me to go in and out of character on set than to stay in it. Ridley, how did you feel about the box office performance of The Last Duel? It got strong reviews and boasted big stars in Matt Damon and Adam Driver, but still underperformed in theaters. SCOTT It was exceedingly disappointing. The fatal thing is when you think you’ve got it, you haven’t — I thought I’d got it on Blade Runner and I hadn’t! I was crucified by a big critic at the time called Pauline Kael. It’s why I never read critiques, ever. You have to be your own decider — if you worry about what the audience is thinking and what they may want, that’s fatal. A good film will find itself, and now Blade Runner is in the Library of Congress. But still, it must add some wind to your sails when people are excited about your work. Even while you were making House of Gucci, the pictures from set caused an online sensation. SCOTT No, totally. There’s nothing like success to make you feel good in the morning, right? At the same time, if you get some kind of clip or hit, don’t let it get to you. If you like what you did, move on. GAGA I can’t agree more. When you are making art to please people or seek praise, this is not sustainable. You’re essentially passionate about getting people to love you as opposed to being passionate about the work. I know I lost my way as an artist for a while when I started to care about what would make people like me. Then I rebelled, because why should I follow a North Star that keeps moving? My whole career, I’ve had ups, I’ve had downs. When you were talking about Blade Runner, I was thinking about my record ARTPOP and how they put out critiques before it even came out. Because of freedom of speech, people can write whatever they want, even if it’s lies, but years later, it’s one of my most critically acclaimed albums. We have no idea what this movie’s going to do after it opens, but it doesn’t matter because we know we made something great. When you get to be lucky like me and be in one of his movies, you know that no matter what, this is going to last a lifetime. Read the full interview on nytimes.com

Lady Gaga has been confirmed as the main guest on "Che Tempo Che Fa", one of the most respectable shows in Italy. Lady Gaga will attend the show this weekend, right after the premiere of her new movie "House of Gucci", out this Saturday in Milan. Stay tuned for more info.