The Gentlemen (2020) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Written by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Runtime: 103 min
Synopsis: 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.
I’ve always been a fan of Guy Ritchie’s style. While I do admit that he tends to overuse his own techniques (like he does in this movie), he always manages to bring something unique to his projects. He delivered a pretty good live-action remake of Aladdin while offering his own take (Jasmine has more compelling motivations). I surprisingly enjoyed King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, but the ending is disappointing. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and the Sherlock Holmes films are entertaining and fun, to say the least. So, yes, I was sort of excited to watch The Gentlemen.
With such a stellar cast, how can someone not be interested in an old-fashioned crime-thriller? First of all, I want to get this out right away: it’s a movie that anyone can enjoy, sure, but for people who know how films usually work, Ritchie applies a storytelling method that’s going to make every “filmmaking nerd” lose their minds. Hugh Grant (Fletcher) is mostly the narrator of the entire story, and he’s basically interpreting a “version” of Guy Ritchie telling the story of his own “flick”.
This means Fletcher goes on and on about film specs like aspect ratios and film gauges but also helping the audience understand what’s happening, by announcing if the story is near its climax or if “the plot thickens”. It’s a captivating and funny way of using exposition without it being lazy or forced. Grant also makes sure to ask the questions the audience should be asking. This way, even people who don’t like to think when they go to the cinema (yes, they exist) will be able to follow the mystery unraveling.
Obviously, the unbelievable cast makes this movie so much fun. Matthew McConaughey is a masterful actor when it comes to carrying long dialogues. Everything he says is always engaging, either by the way he says it, his expressions, or the physical intensity he puts into his own words. Charlie Hunnam (Ray) probably delivers his most amusing performance to date. Ray is definitely going to be a fan-favorite character, and his interactions with Fletcher (with who he spends most of the runtime) are hilarious.
Henry Golding (Dry Eye), Michelle Dockery (Rosalind Pearson), and Jeremy Strong (Matthew) all give excellent performances, but Colin Farrell is the best of this group of characters as Coach. His scenes are some of the funniest sequences of the entire year so far. From his accent to the action he eventually gets into, he’s one of those characters who will leave everyone wanting more. As for the story, it’s undoubtedly one of the most complex screenplays I’ve seen in a while. Comparing with Knives Out, the narrative structure ends up being a bit similar.
Both possess tons of twists and turns that will make everyone scratch their heads for quite some time. Both show different events of the story, featuring a specific character at a particular time in a distinct manner (flashback, flashforward, simple exposition). However, The Gentlemen abuses from its own trick a bit too much, especially during the first half. Something entertaining can quickly turn into something pretty annoying if the storytelling isn’t well-balanced. Can’t have too much of anything, right?
This is my overall issue with the film. Guy Ritchie brings something cool and fresh to escape heavy exposition, but it’s still a lot of information to transmit, and it doesn’t always work smoothly. Some subplots didn’t need to go so deep, which takes time away from more emotionally investing storylines. Nevertheless, in the end, Ritchie stitches every story together seamlessly to create a very well-written flick. With so many intricate layers, it’s extremely difficult to bring it all together to make a cohesive finale, but Ritchie does it superbly.
Final Thoughts
All in all, The Gentlemen is another hit for Guy Ritchie, and it might even be his best movie yet. With one of the most complex screenplays in a while, the phenomenal cast elevates this crime-thriller into one of the best films of 2020, so far. Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, and Colin Farrell stand out, but every actor delivers excellent performances. Extremely funny and captivating storytelling through Grant’s narration, which ironic or not, it’s both the best and worst component of the movie. When used in excess, it can be a bit bothersome and lengthy, but for most of the runtime, this alternative to substantial exposition works brilliantly. Interesting characters, intriguing mystery, and hilarious bits of comedy make this feature very entertaining. Technically, great editing keeps a well-paced flow, but it’s Ritchie’s layered narrative that steals the show.
