Wow.
Historically, January releases have proven to be, as generously as possible, a mixed bag. For whatever reason, the inaugural month of the year is viewed by studios as primo dumping ground for whatever shit they’ve left cooking on the back burner. Last year, the big release of January was “Midnight Shymalan’s” Glass. I really loved Glass. It was one of my favorites of 2019. Many people, however, didn’t particularly care for Glass. Like I said, “mixed bag.”
The Gentlemen is also stylish as sh!t. Without spoiling too much, 88.3% of the plot is told in flashback, narrated by skeevy investigative journalist Fletcher (Hugh Grant) to Ray (Charlie Hunnam), who is right-hand man to weed baron Mickey Pearson (McConaughey). And don’t worry - I checked my math on that percentage. Fletcher divulges the narrative as if it’s a fictionalized Hollywood script, complete with camera and editing cues. I really dug the overtly meta aspects of what Ritchie’s going for, and even though the plot plays like a cracked-out Tarantino flick, I found Fletcher’s narration helped keep me up to speed (pun absolutely intended). This bombastic, balls-to-the-wall style of humor is exactly what I enjoy in a comedy (see: Hot Fuzz, Kingsman: The Secret Service), and I wasn’t expecting this movie to deliver on the laughs so expertly.
But like I said, the deliberately convoluted plot isn’t without its share of shortcomings. By the time Fletcher’s narrative catches up with real life, The Gentlemen is moving so fast that the metaphorical wheels begin to fall off. I counted something like five third-act twists within a twenty minute span, which is about two or three more than I would say was strictly necessary. I can also see this film rubbing a large portion of viewers the wrong way. The language is unapologetically blue, the violence is sudden and intense, and the gags run the gamut from very witty to maybe we’ve gone too far territory, culminating in some implied bestiality that I…. frankly could’ve done without. None of that is to say you shouldn’t see The Gentlemen, just know your tastes and know what you’re signing up for.
Image & Info SOurces!
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The Gentlemen IMDb: www.imdb.com/title/tt8367814/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
"Lonk Stonk" image: User "worst.buy" on Instagram
Generic movie still:
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