The Gentleman – Film Review

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant

Director: Guy Ritchie

Synopsis: When word gets out that the head of profitable drugs empire plans to take a step back from his business, the bids to assume control of the business between the various interested parties threatens to boil over…

Review: Whenever you think of certain directors, you’re likely to associate them with certain genres. So for example, when the name Guy Ritchie is mentioned, the classic British gangster flicks, or Sherlock Holmes, may come to mind. When he hopped on Disney’s magic carpet for the live action remake of Aladdin, it seemed to be an unlikely match. Undeniably a profitable venture for both Ritchie and the House of Mouse, yet the end product was considerably uninspiring. Hence, it’s little surprise that Ritchie has gone back to what he knows best, and all the better for it, as his latest film is one that feels very much cut from the same cloth as his classic Gangster flicks.

Micky Pearson (McConaughey) is the founder of a marijuana business that he established in his university days. Having turned it into a very lucrative venture over many years, with Raymond (Hunnam) as his assistant, he has made a decision to cash in and sell as he desires to spend more time with his wife Ros (Dockery). Yet, before he can sign off on a very profitable deal, a number of pesky, scheming individuals are lurking and plotting to take control of the business for themselves. These conniving individuals include the slimy billionaire Matthew (Strong), ruthless gangster boss Dry Eye (Golding), and the wily and deceptive private investigator Fletcher (Grant).

It goes without saying that the key players of a crime/gangster flick are probably not going to be the nicest of people, which would be problematic if they were not compelling characters. Fortunately, with this pitch perfect cast that Ritchie has assembled, there’s not a bad performance to be found. McConaughey is his usual charming and charismatic self, but for a man of his position, a dark and menacing side lays beneath his suave demeanour. Henry Golding has so often portrayed charming gentleman-esque characters. Hence to see him flip that that perception of him on its head and portray a cold and calculating gangster is delightful to see, and he does it brilliantly. Through all of this though, it’s Hugh Grant’s gleefully enthusiastic performance as the dastardly Fletcher, who steals the entire film. He presents himself as a charming geezer, but underneath that charade, there’s something quite mischievous about his character.

In a rather ingenious move by Ritchie, he uses Fletcher to establish the key players, and the events that have led up to the events of the film. Fletcher’s mischievous tendencies mean that you take his narration with a huge pinch of salt. All is almost certainly not what it seems as he narrates the state of play. With all the numerous schemes and plots that are all happening simultaneously, the film can be a little hard to follow. Yet, it crucially never loses its sense of intrigue, and as Ritchie connects all the dots, it’s nothing short of delightfully entertaining. Ritchie combines this sense of intrigue with some excellent lines of dialogue, and no shortage of violent action scenes.

The abundance of extremely politically incorrect language that’s littered throughout the film may turn off some viewers. Furthermore, the film really squanders the potential that Michelle Dockery’s Ros offered. She could have been a very interesting character to explore, but her development is threadbare and she’s not given enough screen time to significantly develop her character or her relationship with her husband. In spite of that, Ritchie has put the disappointment of his Disney venture behind him, and shown the when he is the one who makes the rules, it can be a blast from start to finish. The Guv’nor of the British gangster flicks is back to rule, and let’s hope he’s here to stay.