The Gentleman

The Gentleman

As reported by Dollyforme

I really enjoyed this movie, saw it in the theatre and loved it. There's an odd (and fun) sense of formality tt The Gentleman. Director Guy Ritchie's newest crime flick that trades the downtrodden, violent British grit of his former films (like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch) for a classier vibe—that's still violently gritty.

Matthew McConaughey stars as Mickey Pearson, a British (by-way-of-Texas) drug lord who's trying to get out of the game and sell his successful and highly secretive cannabis growing business to a rich cohort. Trouble arises when less-scrupulous competitors begin taking Pearson's business down from the inside; it's a twisty, deadly scheme that puts Pearson, his steely wife Rosalind (Michelle Dockery), and his trusted assistant Ray (Charlie Hunnam) in all sorts of danger.

If you aren't fluent in a variety of thick British dialects, The Gentlemen may have you wishing for subtitles—but eventually your ear will adjust and you'll fall in love with the lilting wit of the script, especially when it's delivered by Hugh Grant (as the deviously mischievous private detective Fletcher), who narrates the story as he's trying to shake down Mickey and Ray. In case you haven't realized it, Hugh Grant is England's greatest treasure, and as Americans, we should and will remain eternally envious. In this role, Grant is quick-witted, sexy, insecure, desperate, egotistical, and outright slimy—sometimes all at once. He's worth the price of admission alone.

Happily, there are some other standout performances, too, especially from Colin Farrell, whose "Coach" is a case study in unflappable hilarity as he's dragged into this untenable situation, eventually turning out to be instrumental to its success. And I'm sure you've heard this song before, but it's a goddamn shame that the one juicy role for a woman in this film is barely there at all—but when Dockery flexes her acting muscles, she steals every scene she's in. (Note to screenwriters: If a woman is critical to the entire theme of the movie, it's worth considering giving her more than 10 lines.)

Because I swallowed both versions of “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” I usually expect to swallow Guy Ritchie’s other movies, well…lock, stock and two smoking barrels.

Meaning, I forget about his pleasant but vacuous “Sherlock Holmes” films with Robert Downey, Jr., block out his blockheaded “King Arthur” and make excuses for his useless live-action “Aladdin.”

So thank you movie gods. “The Gentlemen” is a throwback to Ritchie’s uproarious and bloody gangster stuff, stuffed with clever banter, gratuitous violence and a cast who clearly relish every moment on screen.

Set in England, “The Gentlemen” is the tasty, twisty tale of ex-pat, Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey giving the Brit tweedy look a go). Mickey is the so-called king of bush – no, not George and family and, no, not the slumming term for a certain part of the female anatomy. “Bush” in this case, is weed, marijuana, Mary Jane, and how he grows it in such copious amounts on a small island nation is something no one can quite figure out.

His secret, revealed early in the picture, is sort of the dark side of Downton Abbey (which makes casting Michelle Dockery, i.e., “Downton’s” Lady Mary, as Mickey’s Cockney crime queen all the funnier). See, those stately homes of England have more acreage than cash and what is M’Lord to do when the place needs a new roof?

Mickey is looking to sell his business before his hands get too dirty and has a surplus of suitors. There’s the Jewish billionaire (“Succession’s” Jeremy Strong). And the Asian-Cockney Dry Eye (Henry Golding). And a potpourri of street punks who have no idea who they’re dealing with.

The movie is framed as a tale told (actually, a script pitched) – by the scummiest of the scum, a private detective/reporter (Hugh Grant) who digs up dirt for a tabloid editor (Eddie Marsan). His audience is Mickey’s right-hand man, a gentlemanly (yes) sort named Raymond (Charlie Hunnam) who keeps the corpse of one of his victims next to the wagyu beef in his posh freezer.

As was true of the “Lock, Stock” pictures, a lot goes on and the heavy accents don’t make it easier to follow. Ritchie also glories in being as nasty as he wants to be in whatever way he wishes to be.  Along with some pretty gruesome violence, there’s a “pound of flesh” joke attached to Strong’s character, such as those switching “r”s for “l”s lingual mishaps for Asians.

Unnecessary? Absolutely.

But somehow, in the context of “The Gentlemen’s” general craziness, it doesn’t matter as much as it might. Plus, all the actors are having a ball, especially a virtually unrecognizable Grant.

“The Gentlemen” may not be everyone’s cuppa’ tea, but in the midst of a dull, wintry January, its devilish spark can be most welcome.

McConaughey is, as usual, McConaughey (that's a good thing), and even Charlie "Box Office Poison" Hunnam (who is the least interesting presence in the film, yet gets the lion's share of scenes) is... okay? Both roles could've been inhabited by better, more charismatic leads, but in any case, The Gentlemen is a fun, twisty-turny joyride through Britain's well-heeled drug trade, and its moments of shocking, often comical violence should pair nicely with a snifter of good cognac.

In conclusion, it’s a great movie. Big thumbs up. See it in the theatre or from Redbox.