'The Gentlemen' Review

Every once in awhile, you find a movie that you have to call a film.

Now Guy Ritchie has a varied history with his career as a movie director. He's made some good stuff, some bad, and some in between. From 'Snatch' to 'Aladdin', it's fair to say that you truly do not know what you're going to get when you see one of his films for the first time.

Personally, 'Snatch' is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time. If you're unfamiliar with it, go check it out if the cast list alone doesn't impress you the storytelling definitely will. Most films that center around a multiple groups of people who don't even meet each other are clumsy and tend to fall apart around the climax of the story. But 'Snatch' weaves these stories together beautifully where you're not even sure where one story intersects or even matters with another until the end. It reminds me of 'Eternal Sunshine of the SPotless Mind' it the respect that it was ahead of its time and very ambitious because it counted on the audience being able to understand what was happening without actually telling them directly.

Now, he's also made some bad movies, like 'Aladdin' the live action version and 'King Arthur Legend of the Sword'. I don't know how he fucked up either of those movies but he did and we have to live with that.

Then, 'The Gentlemen' comes along and reminds me that Ritchie is still capable of creating an incredible story that is unique and yet reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

'The Gentlemen' much like 'Snatch' gently weaves in several stories into the main plot and ties everything up at the end, while leaving a few frayed ends to perhaps have a sequel but it's not exactly necessary.

It's the story of a very wealthy and very successful gangster named Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey, you know who he is) who crawled up from the gutter to create a multi billion dollar illegal weed distribution business. He's married to Ros (Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey) who owns a car repair shop, and she's a badass in her own right. They are an alpha couple if there ever was one. Pearson is looking to sell his weed business and brings in a former associate to make an offer. Throughout the story he is dealing with issues about the sale and others who want to buy him out and won't take no for an answer. While it may seem confusing at times, don't worry Hugh Grant pops up as a cocky reporter to explain what's happening.

The story is primarily unfolded in one night between Hugh Grant who breaks into Charlie Hunnam's flat to blackmail him with the information he's gathered on Hunnams boss, Pearson, for twenty million pounds. They cut across a series of back flashes that are edited together perfectly, whoever the film editor is for this movie deserves a fucking raise because they had their work cut out for them no pun intended. This is an intense story and it HAD to be edited just right.

The cast is varied and incredibly well put together, it's like these parts were written and custom made for these specific actors. They are absolutely perfect.

While there are some awkward moments, they are very quickly overshadowed but a great reveal or shocking violence or a quick comedic routine. It's all paced very well.

Before I called this movie an homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood, and I mean it reminds me of a combination of something like the Dirty Dozen meets Hitchcock. THese are ruthless characters who are violent and messy, but like a Shakespeare tragedy, they have reasons or what they do.

I just want to add that the romance between Matthew McConaughey and Michelle Dockery is palpable, I'm not so sure about the chemistry between the actors but their characters go beyond love and sex because they have power in their own rights. They are passionate for each other in a very primal and focused way, Pearson is constantly referred to as a lion in the jungle, but in terms of their relationship they are swans as in they will not live without each other and if you invade their pond they will kill you. Swans are not nice, people forget that.

There is a moment near the end of the film where Pearson learns that his wife is in danger, he doesn't know what kind but he KNOWS its not good. Like a mother lifting a car off her child, he pushes beyond personal injuries and logic to get her safe. It's incredibly powerful to watch.

He has a wonderful monologue after that scene where he's discussing what he's owed to the person who was behind the misfortune that had befallen him.

"As stated, I'm not emotional about the money. I am emotional about the fact that someone laid their hands on my wife. . . No amount of money on God's green earth can cover that transgression. For that, I want a pound of flesh. It matters not to me where on your anatomy it is withdrawn from."

If I read that in a script, I would have never picked Matthew McConaughey for the part. But watching him play that scene out, it gives me goosebumps every single time. He's definitely still got it.

Don't take my word for it, watch the movie now on Netflix and I dare you to comment that I'm wrong after you watch it.