The Gentlemen
IMDb Rating | 8.2
Humpo Show Rating | 9.0
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Grant, Charlie Hunnam, Jeremy Strong, Michelle Dockery, Henry Golding, Colin Farrell, Eddie Marsan,
Director: Guy Ritchie
Plot Summary: American expat has built a profitable marijuana empire in London and plans to sell his business and retire. This sparks a remarkable chain of events as various parties try and take over.
American businessman Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) has created a highly profitable marijuana empire in London, and he is looking to cash out his business. When word gets out, it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.
Going into my watching of The Gentlemen, I had only seen about 30 seconds of the trailer (which I was impressed by), so I didn’t have much of an idea of what the film would be about. Even when I was seated in the cinema and the title sequence came up, that was the first time I found out that the film was classified as an 18. But within five minutes, I was hooked.
With Guy Ritchie at the helm, the film has his unmistakable style all over it. There is sharpness to the action, a slickness to the flow of the plot and charismatic characters aplenty, which makes this film a real treat. It is probably the best of Ritchie’s work since his two Sherlock Holmes films back in 2011 and 2015. Each of the characters are so interesting that they are worthy of a film dedicated to themselves.
McConaughey, Hugh Grant, Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell and Michelle Dockery are all outstanding in their respective roles. Grant and Dockery were particularly impressive as they showcased how extensive their acting range is, given that their better known for their roles in things like Love Actually and Downton Abbey. Hearing Grant say the c-word was not something I was anticipating when I sat down to watch this, but he certainly made for an irresistible character, full of wit, jokes and intelligence. I’d love to see him in similarly darker and funnier roles going forward. Another surprise was Farrell. In his role of ‘Coach’, he is brilliantly funny, enlightening and menacing in equal measure and that the fact that he has an Irish accent just makes everything better! Hunnam is not an actor I have seen much of (better known for his role in the TV show Sons of Anarchy), but he was a great addition to this cast. His character Raymond is Pearson’s right-hand man, and while he comes across as calm, measured and calculating, he has an edge, best displayed when chasing the kids for their mobile phones. All in all, a fantastic cast!
McConaughey, well, he just owns every scene he is in. Much like his role in True Detective, he is charismatic and mesmering to watch. One moment he is calm and relaxed, the next he is bloodthirsty and dangerous. He was definitely the only man I can think of fit for this role.
The film has a plethora of laugh out loud funny moments, betrayals, fight scenes, danger, edge of the seat thrills, and plenty else. It is probably one of the films in the last few years that has surprised me the most. I was expecting a not bad film with some good moments, around the 6.5-7.0 mark, but this is definitely deserving of it’s 9.0 rating. A real treat to watch and one that I will definitely get on DVD/Blu-Ray.
The Gentlemen is a wonderful mix of action, gangsters and comedy, with fine acting performances all round. An absolutely brilliant film!
The Humpo Show | Richard
rwh92.wordpress.com 
Grant is pretty amazing in this film! Thanks for reviewing!