Bringing Gangsters Back To The Cinema With Style ‘The Gentlemen’ Reviewed
by Tito W. James
In The Gentlemen Matthew McConaughey stars as a marijuana drug lord ready for retirement, but his path is blocked by a series of shady characters trying to usurp his power. The Gentlemen is being billed as director Guy Ritchie’s return to stylized crime dramas like Snatch. Is this the director’s dream project or has Richie sold out to Hollywood?
THE BAD
While most of the violence is thankfully restrained there’s one torture scene that I wouldn’t recommend watching on a full stomach.
THE GOOD
The Gentlemen utilizes all of Ritchie’s directorial trademarks to full effect. There’s plenty of witty banter, badass narration, eccentric characters, creative editing, and punchy sound design. The slick presentation vibes perfectly with a story about contemporary drug trade. The Gentlemen feels fresh and modern even as it reveals in it’s old school filmmaking. Very much like in Snatch, character interactions have an ever increasing domino effect on a plot that keeps you guessing.
THE VERDICT
I’ve become of fan of Ritchie’s directing after discovering his earlier crime films that pushed the envelope. The Gentlemen is alive with the youthful energy of a student film but with the polish and refinement of a master. You can tell that this is a film where Ritchie is simply having a blast and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Gentlemen is now playing in cinemas.