Although he has spent much of the last decade making big budget studio fare like Aladdin or the Sherlock Holmes movies, Guy Ritchie has not lost the love for his rough and tumble gangster flicks that put him on the map. After making his way through the Disney machine, The Gentlemen is a welcome return home to flicks such as Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch that really showcase his violent, clever storytelling. Ritchie has a penchant for assembling an amazing ensemble cast, and this film is no exception as he welcomes Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Grant, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell, Michelle Dockery and more to the party. The combination of this cast and Ritchie’s flare for storytelling creates something quite entertaining.
The Gentlemen is the story of Michael ‘Mickey’ Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), a US born street rat turned marijuana baron in England, who is at the end of his fruitful career and looking to sell off his empire where he can retire peacefully with his wife, Rosalind (Michelle Dockery). With this power vacuum comes multiple suitors for his business, leading down all manner of twisty alleys and crossed storylines. There is the American billionaire played by Jeremy Strong (Succession), a power-hungry Chinese gangster named Dry Eye (Henry Golding, Crazy Rich Asians), and a lowly gym trainer known as Coach (Colin Farrell), who only gets mixed up in the action through his fighters that he is trying to keep on the straight and narrow. That’s not even mentioning the sleazy PI named Fletcher (Hugh Grant) who is recounting the whole sordid tale to Pearson’s right-hand man, Raymond (Charlie Hunnam, Sons of Anarchy).
There is a ton of story to unpack in this movie, and it would not enhance the viewing experience to know much more than this basic layout. It is safe to say that the entire cast is having a blast making this movie. Ritchie has a gift for dialogue that these actors just chew up and really make their own. Farrell and Hunnam in particular seem to be giving it their all, providing standout performances in a movie filled with immensely talented actors. Michelle Dockery is also whip-smart and sexy cool in her performance as Rosalind. She brings a charisma to the role that really gets you invested in her relationship with Mickey. There are really not any weak links in this cast. The best part of the movie is being able to see all of these individuals interact with each other in this atmosphere.
While the movie is a lot of fun, there are some issues that keep it from being great. Ritchie is known for his dense plotting and carefully paced reveals, but he seems to have lost a bit of his touch in the intervening decade since his last movie of this sort. The storytelling device of having Fletcher lay out the story to Raymond seems to lessen any momentum the story gains by jumping back and forth between timelines. There are many individual scenes and performances that are amazingly entertaining, but the construction of the film does not service the narrative to its full potential. While not top tier of the Guy Ritchie gangster films, The Gentlemen is still very much worth your time.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Gentlemen offers a solid uptick in quality over the already strong accompanying Blu-Ray. The movie runs a bit more on the drab side of the color spectrum, but that does not stop the disc from providing some bold colors, especially with the glow lights in Mickey’s weed farm. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. The white levels are balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. There is a lot of facial hair going on in this movie, and with this presentation you can see the fine detail of each gentleman’s face. This is a very natural looking transfer that give the film a three dimensional feel that’s a marked improvement from the Blu-Ray.
Audio Quality
A Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1 default) audio mix is provided for both the 4K UHD and standard Blu-Ray release. The track is more than suitable for this presentation, providing crystal clear dialogue throughout, even if you might have to turn on the subtitles to catch some of the dialects. There are bursts of action that pop up throughout the movie that the track has fun with, panning across the sides and rears. The sense of space that this mix provides is also pretty impressive. The film also has a fun soundtrack that really comes to life with this track. Fans of the movie should be pleased with the presentation.
Special Features
- Behind the Scenes of The Gentlemen: A minute and a half promotional piece.
- Best Gentlemanly Quips: Three minutes of the best lines from the movies.
- Glossary of Cannabis: A minute long montage of all the terms used throughout the movie to refer to marijuana.
- Photo Gallery: A collection of behind the scenes shots from the movie.
Final Thoughts
The Gentlemen is an imperfect film, but it still provides a hell of a lot of fun with Ritchie’s signature style. The talent of the cast is undeniable, providing one of the main reasons to check out this movie. There are a few scripting elements that should have been fine tuned, but The Gentlemen is another solid entry into the Guy Ritchie pantheon of gangster flicks. If you are a fan of special features you will find the disc a bit lacking, but otherwise Universal Home Entertainment provides a top-notch technical presentation. Recommended
The Gentlemen is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD, Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
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Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.