Movie Review: “The Gentlemen”

“The Gentlemen”

Release date: January 24, 2020

Runtime: 113 mins

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

Starring:  Matthew McConaughey

                  Charlie Hunnam

                 Michelle Dockery

                Hugh Grant

Guy Ritchie has had an interesting career. His first two films, 1998’s “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and 2000’s “Snatch,” are both extremely entertaining crime comedies/thrillers. The last movie he directed was the live-action remake of “Aladdin,” which I did not see because I usually try to avoid spending my time and/or money on things I know I will hate. To say he directed it would be a bit misleading though because a Disney marketing team had already made most of the “creative” decisions before he was even hired. The other movies he has made over the last couple of decades, perhaps with the exception of the two Sherlock Holmes films, which I do remember enjoying, have been mostly forgettable, big-budget studio flops. 

With the newly released “The Gentlemen,” Ritchie returns to his filmmaking roots. While it is nothing we have not seen him do before, it is just as fun to watch as his first two movies. 

Ritchie has the unique talent of being able to tell complicated stories weaving in and out of different timelines, following a multitude of characters, without having them feel overly convoluted or confusing. He divulges information in a way which feels completely natural while also saving certain details for big reveals later on. If it ever does feel a bit confusing or like you have lost track of what is going on, it all comes together in the end. It is by no means a groundbreaking story which no one has heard before, but it is told in an interesting way, which manages to make the material seem fresh. 

This is the kind of ensemble movie which would not work without stellar work from the whole cast. The performances are great all around. Almost all of the comedy lands, which could and should be attributed to the writing, but the actors deliver it excellently. Particularly of note is Hugh Grant as a shady, full of himself private detective. He is hands down the most memorable, entertaining character in the movie even with so much competition. It really is a shame Grant was relegated to mostly cheesy romantic comedies for most of his career, but he has had the opportunity to show off his range over the past couple of years. 

Ritchie’s directing is hyper-stylized in a way which can seem a little obnoxious at first, but it is easy to get used to, at least for me. It is his own unique style, though, and he is not simply copying some other director. 

I should probably say this is not a movie for everyone. If you dislike ultra-violence, heavy suggestion of graphic sexual acts, or expletive -strewn dialogue spoken in potentially hard-to-understand English accents, stay away. I can somewhat accurately describe it as a British “Pulp Fiction.” If that sounds appealing to you, you will probably enjoy this. If you have seen and enjoyed “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” or “Snatch,” this is a lot like those two movies. 

It could, and, in fact, has been said that it is too much like those two movies, though I would disagree. Perhaps if Ritchie goes on to make several more of this same type of crime comedy, then it might get pretty old, but if he has a formula to make super entertaining movies, he might as well milk it a little. Hopefully, he branches out to new genres and stories, but “The Gentlemen” serves as a great comeback and return to form. 

Drew Eckhart is a junior history and pre-law major from Edmond, OK. He has loved movies for as long as he can remember but thinks his passion really began when he watched “The Dark Knight” for the first time. His favorite type of movie blends comedy and drama seamlessly, and he loves great action films.  His favorite movie is “The Graduate.”

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