The Gentlemen — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
Guy Richie has been a director that hasn’t always blown me away in the past. I’ve been amused by his outings with Sherlock Holmes and quite enjoyed The Man from U.N.C.L.E., but I wasn’t even all that impressed by his fan favourites, like Snatch. For myself, I see that’s he’s now on a nice little streak. I really enjoyed his live-action remake of Aladdin and I think The Gentlemen may be my favourite film he has ever done. Although it does get a little self-indulgent at times, here’s why I believe The Gentlemen may impress you, even though you may need to have an acquired taste for it.
The Gentlemen tells the story of Michael Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), a man who wishes to sell off his Marijuana empire in order to escape from the crimes he has committed. This leads to a lot of blackmailing and mistakes, which then leads to death and chaos. However, at its core, this film is about Fletcher (Hugh Grant), a man who is trying to make this story into a feature film. This element was probably my favourite portion, as it tied current events into past events, which made for an interesting experience. Sadly, that formula became a little self-indulgent by the final act.
As I mentioned, Guy Richie, who directed this film, has a very unique style. To get the negative out of the way first, without ruining anything for viewers, there is a scene towards the end of the movie that breaks the fourth wall in ways I haven’t seen in a while. That particular scene left a bad taste in my mouth, but I enjoyed the rest of the movie too much to let that be a huge detractor. From his witty/snappy dialogue to his hilarious choices of the way certain characters speak, he has certainly not lost touch with the types of movies he likes to make. For myself, this one just happened to work for me, more than any of his previous original work.
From Matthew McConaughey to Charlie Hunnam (who is fantastic in this role), Colin Ferrell to Henry Golding, and the rest of the endless talent, The Gentlemen is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the talent on-screen. I was actually worried throughout the first 20 to 30 minutes that it felt a little messy and that these actors wouldn’t have many ways to shine, but I was wrong. This movie finds its footing by the end of the first act and never lets up. I was thoroughly impressed by the acting, screenplay, and overall editing throughout the film, that my complaints never ruined my enjoyment.
In the end, The Gentlemen isn’t a perfect movie and Guy Richie definitely pats himself on the back a little too often this time, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I had an absolute blast. The dialogue came a mile-a-minute and it was either important to the story, clever for the sake of being clever, or simply hilarious, and I just ate that aspect up. The quick style of this movie won’t be for everyone, but if you happen to enjoy that sort of thing, then you may just love this movie. I like that style when it’s done well and it really worked for me here. The Gentlemen is a fun time and I recommend checking it out.
Rating: 4/5
Check out the trailer below:
