The Gentlemen

Guy Ritchie returns to the milieu of his first few movies with The Gentlemen, in which chaos and violence ensues after a successful marijuana magnate (Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey Pearson) announces his intentions to sell his vast empire. Filmmaker Ritchie, perhaps predictably, kicks The Gentlemen off with a somewhat off-putting opening stretch that overwhelms the viewer with exposition and context, and it’s clear, certainly, that the barrage of information is a little on the oppressive side and does require a fair amount of patience from the viewer. Said patience ultimately does pay off with a vengeance, however, as The Gentlemen segues into a progressively enthralling midsection that boasts one captivating sequence after another – with, for example, the introduction of Colin Farrell’s supporting character nothing short of riveting. The thoroughly watchable atmosphere is undoubtedly heightened by top-tier work of the movie’s eclectic cast, and by the time all the pieces fall into place within the rather spellbinding climax, The Gentlemen has certainly confirmed its place as a return to form for the decidedly hit-and-miss Ritchie.

***1/2 out of ****