The Gentlemen

The trajectory of Guy Ritchie's career has been one of the weirdest things to come out of Hollywood. The director cut his teeth on the British crime genre, making a name for himself with flashy and showily violent thrillers. Even worse, his earlier films were put on a pedestal much in the same way Tarantino's currently are, although Ritchie's style is a bit shallower. But it was with his 2005 labyrinthinely plotted thriller "Revolver" when I saw a bit of a change from the norm. Underneath all of the slick stylings was a cool takedown of the moral codes that Ritchie was critically lambasted for exploiting in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch."

Then came the "Sherlock Holmes" films, which were cockneyfied loose adaptations that were thrilling in their stylistic excesses and boorish humor. Add in the densely plotted camp exercise that is his "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and you find a director that's committed to having fun in the most churlish way possible. Although, that same churlish attitude isn't for everyone. That's why it was such a pleasure to discover his 2020 film, "The Gentlemen," combining his signature style with a crime drama that revels in gag after gag. Once again, Ritchie has shown us that there's still fun to be had in watching people bitch and shoot at each other ad infinitum.

Michael "Mickey" Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) is the mastermind behind a lucrative marijuana empire in London. When news hits that Mickey wants out of the game and wants to sell, it sets in motion a bunch of criminal plots in the attempt to devalue his company so his empire can be sold for less. At his side is Ray (Charlie Hunnam), his mild-mannered right-hand man who now has to fight against these plots with little collateral damage.

"The Gentlemen" isn't just an exercise in excess, it's also weirdly devoted to overcomplicating a pretty simple narrative in a cheeky way. From the opening, we get a fast-talking Fletcher (Hugh Grant), a private detective attempting to blackmail Ray and Mickey or he'll release some unsavory information about their enterprise to the media. Fletcher thinks he has the upper hand, so he constantly retells Ray and Mickey's exploits with even more flair than a normal Guy Ritchie film has. The story exists within a terse flashback structure that often becomes a gag in itself. Everything is done for yuks here, and Ritchie employs a diverse cast of great performers to slag on each other. Plus, there's a great foot chase sequence scored to "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" by El Michels Affair, so what's not to like here?

As for the 4K presentation on the new Blu-ray, it's pretty sturdy and does wonders in showcasing the many textural pleasures of the film. Whether its ice knocking around in a glass or a jokey aside about film projection, the colors really pop here in ways that I didn't find when watching the film at my local AMC back in January. There are a few special features to wade through, but they're all pretty brief and don't really give you that much insight into the production or the inspiration behind it. But if you're looking for a few short clips of actors talking about how much they loved working with Ritchie, then they'll probably whet your appetite. Definitely pick this 4K Blu-ray release up, as it is one of the best films of the year and has way more pep than similar films made as of late. Special features include:

� Behind-the-Scenes of "The Gentlemen"
� Best Gentlemanly Quips
� Glossary of Cannabis
� Photo Gallery

"The Gentlemen"
4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray & Digital
$44.98
https://www.uphe.com/movies/the-gentlemen