The Gentlemen is a British action comedy with a knock-out cast including Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Michelle Dockery and Jeremy Strong. (Strong is Kendall Roy in the TV show Succession which I loved, so this was a pleasant surprise for me.)
Written and directed by Guy Ritchie, whose films I have no particular love or hate for, The Gentlemen has a lot going on - arguably a bit too much - but I really enjoyed it.
Mickey Pearson (McConaughey) is a wealthy marijuana mogul living in London and looking to sell his empire. Cue highjinx (blackmail, bribery & a great deal of violence, for example) from a range of possible new head honchos jostling to snaffle up the underground business.
Hugh Grant doing a cockney accent takes some getting used to (it’d be easier if it were perfect but alas it’s a little hit and miss) but he does well with some very funny dialogue. Michelle Dockery doing cockney as Mickey’s wife is also jarring given she’s best known for her portrayal of posh lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey, but she nails it!
The Gentlemen has attracted mixed reviews. For example, it was a grim two stars from The Guardian but a kinder four stars from the Sydney Morning Herald. Enjoyment-wise, you can put me in the four star camp. It’s not perfect but I laughed a lot and I didn’t look at my watch once which, for a film that runs to nearly two hours, is a good sign.
The Gentlemen is rated MA 15+ and is in cinemas now. Trailer here.