Ritchie returns to crime in ‘The Gentlemen’

Posted on January 31, 2020

By MARK VIOLA

Director Guy Ritchie has had a rough go of it lately, with less than stellar box office returns for “The Man from UNCLE” and “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.” I was a fan of both of those movies, but I’m somewhat in the minority with that opinion. Meanwhile, his last film, Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” was a critical disappointment, but made a lot of money.

Now Ritchie has returned to his crime film roots (“Snatch,” “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”) with “The Gentlemen,” an ensemble crime thriller that is full of the director’s patented style and numerous scenery-chewing performances.

The story revolves around marijuana kingpin Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey”), who is seeking a way to retire, if he can survive his rivals’ attempts to take over his business. Much of the film is framed around a conversation between Mickey’s lieutenant Ray (Charlie Hunnam, “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”) and private investigator Fletcher (Hugh Grant, “The Man from UNCLE”).

This gives Ritchie plenty of opportunity to showcase his directorial flares, which worked quite well for me, although his style admittedly turns some movie-goers off.

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