HOLLYWOOD─I went into this movie with the lowest expectations and came out quite surprised. I’m referring to the crime dramedy “The Gentlemen” written, directed and produced by Guy Ritchie. Ritchie is known for having lots of control with his flicks, but this movie is just a hoot of fun people. Not only do we have an all-star cast, but we have a story that is weaved with a ton of surprises that keeps the audience guessing from start to finish.
This movie has a talented cast of actors from Matthew McConaughey to Charlie Hunnam to Michelle Dockery to Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant. McConaughey stars as drug lord, Mickey Pearson who has built a marijuana enterprise from the ground up. He’s looking to retire and hang up his hat and spend more time with his wife, but it’s not as easy as Mickey would hope.
This is a great role for McConaughey who continues to showcase his versatility as an actor. He can do comedy, romance, suave characters, dark characters, the guy is like a chameleon changing types on a dime and he does that here. The story sees Pearson being approached by multiple parties to get their hands on his business. Hunnam portrays Raymond, a character I would call Pearson’s muscle and lays into the role with ease. Grant falls into the role of Coach, who gets caught up in the melee and has no idea what is transpiring to his knowledge.
In an odd development, Henry Golding takes on a dark role as Dr. Eye. Audiences have seen Golding in slightly charming roles, so to see him tackle a character who has a face of an angel, but can showcase some deep, dark range as an actor shows his versatility on the screen people. I can’t forget to talk about Dockery who gets to channel her street credibility in this dark comedy. What works well for “The Gentlemen” is the audience doesn’t fully know what to expect.
You think you have an idea where the narrative is headed, but a twist is delivered that you least expect and then out of the blue this happens and then that happens and before you know it another curveball is thrown your way. No its not to the degree that totally stuns the spectator, but you feel like you’re watching a movie where you get so caught up in the storytelling that when a misdirect is delivered it not only catches you off-guard it surprises you in a good way. Not many movies can do that, and that is the result of the fresh script that Ritchie crafted and his technical skills behind the camera.
“The Gentlemen” is not presented as a high-class action flick, it has action in it, it has death in it, it has fighting and shootings in it, it has comedy in it, and our director takes all those elements which might be a bit much for most people to finagle and makes it work as a cohesive piece. You will be entertained watching this movie, you will be surprised and the worst thing of it all is the fact that this might be the last movie that you expected to do such a thing. Give “The Gentlemen” a chance, because it delivers on multiple fronts when it comes to watching a movie that provides a pure escape.
