Frank Miller For Gucci Guilty
Witness the nerdy buffoonery of the trailer for Frank Miller’s commercial for the new scent from Gucci, Gucci Guilty. Certainly, this is not the first director-driven television spot we have featured on Coilhouse, Nadya having previously spotlighted David Lynch’s sixteen minute ad (Film? Vignette?) for Christian Dior. Gucci, however, is playing this one up as an event. The actual commercial hits a little under a month from now at the MTV Music Awards, no doubt preceding the long awaited Lady Gaga/M.I.A. Fish Slapping Dance Battle to the Death.
Entitled “Friendly Fires” “Frank Miller’s Gucci Guilty”, it stars Evan Rachel Wood and Chris Evans in a wire-frame world of imposing, CG skyscrapers and a distinct lack of color. Wood plays a femme fatale in a slinky outfit piloting a futuristic Jaguar XK120 on fire while Evans plays a gentleman involved with the aforementioned seductress. It is all very tried and true ground for Miller, a man whose greatest crime has been to take his credit as a director on Sin City seriously enough to convince people with money that he actually is a director. No doubt I will be accused of various degrees of hipster posturing due to this bit of nerd rage but Miller’s green screen chicanery is truly a film-making nadir — managing to take a style that produced some excellent comic books and turning it into a tired, vapid cliche. On the other hand, those same qualities might work well for pimping an over-priced, designer fragrance and indeed “Guilty” seems to share many of the same qualities that made Calvin Klein Obsession ads from the 1980s so absurd (and, some would argue, effective). It may be that Miller has finally found his niche.
Update: As BaggerMcGuirk notes in the comments, the ad’s title is not “Friendly Fires” as originally written in this post. Friendly Fires is responsible for the music in the ad.
Update the 2nd: The full trailer is online. Not much longer than the teaser, really.
Via Super Punch
August 18th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
I won’t believe it’s Frank Miller until someone utters the word “whores”.
August 18th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
You know, there’s a part of me that believes that Frank Miller has a reached a point in his career where he is willing to do anything people ask him to, if they give him a big enough check.
When the check is cashed, he then proceeds to give them what they want, while simultaneously fucking with them.
Exhibit A: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Exhibit B: All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder
Exhibit C: This.
August 18th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
…and with that part of me dies. Oh Frank, say it ain’t so. I mean I could forgive The Spirit as a glorified film school project but this just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
August 18th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Wow, this is so by-the-numbers! Daaamn!
I love it when you nerd-rage, Ross. Especially when you do it topless.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:28 am
Hahahahahahaahaha!
August 19th, 2010 at 8:54 am
Frank Miller seems locked in a kind of weird parody of himself these days. I knew Rodriguez was mostly responsible for Sin City, but I could very easily see Sin City 2 pushed with just Miller, and I really hope that doesn’t happen. Also I believe Friendly Fires did the music for this, and it’s not the short’s actual title.
August 19th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Oh, Frank. Really now.
Where is Robert Rodriguez when you need him?
August 19th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
I am a little curious about what the fragrance actually smells like..
On the other hand I wonder if Rodriguez had a hand in this… since they don’t really need to credit “co” directors in commercials.
August 20th, 2010 at 5:58 am
@BaggerMcGuirk – Given how badly The Spirit did I doubt they’d give him the keys to that franchise – regardless of the fact he was its creator. Rodriguez is thankfully still involved by all accounts but he always has so many projects floating about who knows when we’ll finally see it. At one point it was suppose to be 2 sequels filmed back to back. Personally I’d rather it become a show on say HBO or Showtime with revolving directors & actors. I think it’d be much more fun that way for fans & TV needs a good crime series that’s not a procedural, cop drama, or mob drama.