Former Gucci creative director Tom Ford said that he felt “deeply sad” after watching Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci.

The American fashion designer, 60, served as the creative director of the Italian fashion house for ten years from 1994 until 2004.

He is portrayed by actor Reeve Carney in the movie, which depicts the marriage of Maurizo Gucci (Adam Driver) to Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), their rise up the ranks of the family business, ending in his murder in 1995.

Writing an essay for Air Mail, Ford - who was originally interviewed for the book on which the film is based - said: “I was deeply sad for several days after watching House of Gucci, a reaction that I think only those of us who knew the players and the play will feel.

“It was hard for me to see the humour and camp in something that was so bloody. In real life, none of it was camp, it was at times absurd, but ultimately it was tragic.”

In his review, he likened the overall production to a soap opera, writing: “The movie rivals the night-time soap Dynasty for subtlety, but does so with a much bigger budget.”

Adding: “I often laughed out loud, but was I supposed to?”

He also stated that the flick’s timeline was wrong and highlighted instances, plus, he likened father-son duo Aldo and Paolo Gucci (played by Al Pacino and Jared Leto) to a Saturday Night Live sketch.

Concluding his piece, Ford wrote that the film will probably ‘be a hit’, adding ‘splash the Gucci name across things and they usually sell’.