Guy Ritchie is back in this action-packed thrill ride, going back to his roots in the telling of a gentlemanly gangster story that is wildly entertaining!
“From writer/director Guy Ritchie comes The Gentlemen, a star-studded sophisticated action comedy. The Gentlemen follows American expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), who built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever, it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him (featuring an all-star ensemble cast including Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant).”
The film opens with Mickey Pearson entering a pub and ordering a drink. He calls his wife, noticing something is awry on the phone, a gunshot rings out. We then cut to Ray (Charlie Hunnam) returning home to find Fletcher (Hugh Grant), a reporter willing to sell his services to the highest bidder, in his home, demanding twenty million pounds in exchange for the story he has been writing, along with all the evidence, of Mickey Pearson’s recent dealings and potential sale of his marijuana empire which has gone south. Ray is eager to learn what Fletcher knows, as Fletcher tells the story which unfolds into the film, with him taking some dramatic liberties at times. Things aren’t what they seem for anyone involved, as there always seems to be an ulterior motive afoot.
The name Guy Ritchie used to carry a lot of weight with me in the past, with his first few films ranking as some of the best gangster films in modern times. Sadly, for whatever reason, that excitement and anticipation for his projects have dwindled recently, and I went into The Gentlemen with lowered expectations, despite the all-star cast involved. Needless to say, don’t worry about lowering your expectations, because The Gentlemen is Guy Ritchie going back to his roots, providing a well-crafted, intelligent, hard to understand the dialogue at times, gangster film that he’s best known for.
The story itself of The Gentlemen can be an intricate journey to follow, as there are a lot of small details peppered throughout the story that seem insignificant initially but end up being of consequence. It’s told in a unique way, from several points of view, with the narration and explanation of Hugh Grant’s character read like a screenplay that he has written of events over the past few days, then starts back at present time for the third act. There is a bit of a mystery involving who is in cahoots with whom, one that unfolds very naturally, keeping surprisingly good pace with all the exposition thrown at you. The only drawback is that there really is a lot of information given to you in the first few sequences, a lot of names, events and locations, but if you can keep things together for a brief time, it all does gradually make sense as the story is shown rather than told.
No doubt about it, the best thing about this film is the cast that make this intricate and detailed story come to life. Without them, sure it may have been an interesting film, but everyone does an absolute fantastic job at elevating the film much higher. Matthew McConaughey’s natural charisma and charm make it seem as though he doesn’t even have to act in these types of roles. There is an upside and downside to this. He’s brilliant in these types of roles, representing his character as compassionate, a leader, someone willing to take care of his friends, even showing compassion to enemies without it looking like weakness. This is Mickey Pearson, but it is also basically every other character he’s played, with very few exceptions. Although I generally enjoy his performances, it would be nice if he’d branch out from time to time. Charlie Hunnam is someone I’ve enjoyed since Sons of Anarchy, but unfortunately has been the proverbial box office poison it seems, but not here. He may have the most screen time out of anyone, and delivers a very strong performance, with some tense sequences that are both thrilling and funny. Colin Farrell was probably my favorite character out of the film, playing Coach, a tough guy who brings in kids off the streets to teach them discipline and fighting, having his own little gang of thugs who pull off jobs and breakdance and stream to YouTube. He was such an odd character, fitting in perfectly within this film with all the others. Hugh Grant is unrecognizable as Fletcher, while he narrates the majority of the film, you couldn’t even tell it was him speaking. He really dives into the character and despite filming he scenes in only a few short days, he really does steal the show when he’s on screen.
Video
The Gentlemen is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1 featuring HDR10. Immediately when the film begins you can tell the crisp, detailed image is that of UHD. As Matthew McConaughey walks into the pub everything about the video is perfect. Flesh tones, brightness, color balance, with the HDR providing those deep, lifelike colors, brilliant brights and deep darks. The film has a lot of color to it, too, especially Colin Farrell’s gang and coordinated plaid jumpsuits, UV lights over the vast amounts of plants, it all looks breathtaking.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos, another very pleasing aspect to the set. If Guy Ritchie can do one thing, despite some of the duds he’s put out, is that he always accompanies his films with an intense soundtrack to go along with the intense sequences. The Gentlemen isn’t any different, as he perfectly scores the film. The track sounds great, with a good balance between the surrounds and center channel, with the surrounds providing a lot of substance with all the gunfire, fighting, and other action sequences you would expect from this type of film.
Special Features
The extras are located on both the 4k and Blu-Ray disc, these are very brief extras, somewhat disappointing, but nonetheless give some additional information on Ritchie’s style and some of the highlights of the film. These include:
- Best Gentlemanly Quips
- Glossary of Cannabis
- Behind the Scenes of The Gentlemen
- Photo Gallery
The Gentlemen is proof that Guy Ritchie hasn’t lost his edge. A cool, gentlemen’s gangster film about the marijuana business in London isn’t something I would have predicted would materialize, but it’s a hell of a fun ride to go on, from the unique, brilliant opening credit sequence to the ending you wouldn’t have expected.
