The Gentlemen

 

The Gentlemen is an action crime comedy starring, Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery and Colin Farrell. When Michael Pearson, an American living in London, tries to sell off his technologically advanced and unique marijuana empire his rivals circle in an attempt to steal his livelihood without his knowledge.

This movie felt like a classic Guy Ritchie film. It gave me Snatch/ RocknRolla vibes with the fast talking cockney slang gangsters and the convoluted language. At the beginning I had to push through to figure out what was going on, as Ritchie is known for putting out disjointed narratives in his scripts, but once I got about 30 minutes in, things started to kick in. There are a lot of moving pieces so you have to hang on to figure out how they all connect together.

The costume designer, Michael Wilkinson, did a great job with the looks for each character. They were distinctive and fit well with the personalities of each member.

The cinematography was fast-paced and full of lively, cheeky action sequences with creative fight choreography.

I thought that the acting from the entire cast was superb. I particularly enjoyed Matthew McConaughey’s portrayal of Michael Pearson. He had a clean cut, put together look. He was smart and creative and could also surprise you with his ruthlessness. Coming from a few romantic comedies it was nice to see a different look to Henry Golding’s range in a more hard-nosed role as Dry Eye. I thought Colin Farrell was hilarious but also resourceful and clever as Coach, a boxing trainer who unwittingly gets involved in Michael Pearson business. I was also really impressed with Hugh Grant’s cockney accent. Overall I appreciated the ethnic diversity in the cast but where the ball was dropped for me was in gender diversity. The two women cast were pretty one dimensional and were not the focus of the storytelling.

In the end, The Gentlemen was an entertaining watch that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It had its funny parts and some great twists toward the end. For those who enjoy an authentic Guy Ritchie film, you will really like his return to his roots in this one.