
Guy Ritchie Gets Back to His Roots With The Gentlemen
The Gentlemen (2020)
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery and Henry Golding
By Tim Basaraba
Hot off the commercial success of the Aladdin live action remake, English director Guy Ritchie gets back to his roots with The Gentlemen.
This 2020 film is an amalgamation of the British director’s previous and highly enjoyable, non-franchise films. The quick editing of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) is there, as are the larger-than-life protagonists reminiscent of Snatch (2000) and the superb storytelling of 2008’s RocknRolla.
This time, Ritchie is directing an actor who has recently acted really well in several really bad films. Matthew McConaughey starred in Beach Bum and Serenity in 2019, both of which were dumpster fires aside from his performances. With the Gentlemen, Mr. McConaughey gets the chance to act from a well-written script and unsurprisingly excels as Michael Pearson, the weed king of London.

The film’s other actors are equally as impressive. Charlie Hunnam takes a posh turn away from the meat head he plays in Sons of Anarchy; Michelle Dockery gets to act in the modern day and not the early 1900’s of Downtown Abby; and Henry Golding gets to be an entirely different type of Crazy Rich Asian. For me, it seemed like the most fun was had by Hugh Grant as Fletcher, a constant catalyst for the film’s plot progressing toward utter mayhem.
If you like Guy Ritchie films, seeing The Gentlemen is a no-brainer. If you do not like Guy Ritchie films, or are indifferent to them, I still recommend you check this one out. It’s fast-paced , quick-edit throwback style is highly entertaining and enjoyable.
If Lock Stock and Snatch were both A-, and RocknRolla was a B, then Guy Ritchie’s latest is a B+
I want to see this film, because your thoughtful review provokes my deep interest.
P.S.: You could draw, too, if you wish. I like what small samples I’ve seen!