The month of January is best known for forgettable movies that have no purpose but besides being a filler for other future movies in the winter season. This year, that changed that with releases like Bad Boys for Life. As for Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, it might prove to be Guy Ritchie’s redemption from his disastrous Aladdin remake. The Gentlemen stars Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant. The plot centers around an American (McConaughey) who becomes rich by building a marijuana empire in London. His attempt to sell it triggers chaos when a drug lord, a British gangster, and others clash in their attempts to collect his fortune.
Though everyone in this film had great performances, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant go above and beyond. Hugh Grant’s performance as a private detective never misses a beat as he pulls a combination of comedy and story-telling during tense scenes. Even though Hugh Grant hasn’t appeared in a lot of recent films, this film is surely a reestablishing moment for him, from the way he delivers his lines to his interactions with almost every vital character on screen. Colin Farrell has one of the funniest and memorable characters in this film. His delivery of his reaction towards certain problems that his character encounters stands out, especially given how fast paced the film is.
Finally, a gangster-genre film that has something going. There haven’t been a lot of movies featuring the mixed genres of action, comedy, and crime all rolled into one (besides Guy Ritchies’ past films) in recent years. This film knows when to act serious and when to act funny. A balance is achieved when the film properly focuses on the comedy aspect and at other times when the film focuses on shocking plot twists. Gangsters films can be serious, but Guy Ritchie’s directing and writing know when scenes should and shouldn’t take itself too seriously. This results in by having small but amazing performances from an ensemble cast and quirky comedy in character dynamics.
Overall, Guy Ritchie has finally redeemed himself from last year’s Aladdin remake. The directing and writing were on par with his previous films, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and RocknRolla. The multiple genres featured in The Gentleman are surprisingly good and well-blended. The actors deliver performances so great it’s as if they were destined to play their respective roles. All in all, this is a film that’s both enjoyable and entertaining in many ways.
3/5 STARS