The Mosley Review: The Gentleman
When it comes to the gangster and/or mob film genre there are only 2 names that immediately spring to mind when pinpointing the best the genre has to offer. Martin Scorsese immerses you in the world of the mob and shows you the glamour, but also shows you dirty and bloody roots. Now I’ve been waiting for years to see this director return to his roots and to his classic style of storytelling that we all love. Well after 12 years, I can finally say that Guy Ritchie is back! Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and RocknRolla are all staples of his career and pillars of British crime and gangster film genre. His sleek, quick paced, witty and hilarious style of storytelling is on full display here and I can’t believe it took this long for him to come back. This film was a back to basics, no over use of CGI or hyper stylized crap. The story is the story and the characters tell the story in brilliant and slick dialogue. Usually January is a dumping ground for horrible films, but this is shaping up to be a good month and a running theme of “back to basics” storytelling for 2020.
Matthew McConaughey was cool and sometimes menacing as the gangster Mickey Pearson. The story behind his character is a familiar one, but Matthew brings a new depth to archetype and there’s always a quiet rage behind his wisdom. Michelle Dockery plays his wife Rosalind Pearson and she is equally brilliant and dangerous. I loved their chemistry and they really felt like a power couple. Charlie Hunnam is Mickey’s right hand man Raymond and he was the best. Charlie showcases his natural charm and badass swagger while keeping you engaged in any situation he finds himself in. He gave off a vibe that Samuel L. Jackson did as Jules in Pulp Fiction and I loved it. Colin Farrell nearly steals the film as the quirky and fun Coach. He is truly having fun and you see it in every scene. Jeremy Strong was great and cunning as Matthew Burger. I loved his scenes with Mickey as they discuss the business in some great exposition and I loved his “smarter and better than you” demeanor. Henry Golding was perfect as the antagonist Dry Eye. He was ambitious and dangerous, but miss guided. I do love seeing Eddie Marsan on screen everytime. As Big Dave, he was great and perfect as the scorned Editor in Chief of a tabloid. Now the real standout in the film was Hugh Grant as Fletcher. He is the narrator of the story and the central hub of all Guy Ritchie’s storytelling tricks. He had the heaviest load of dialogue in the film and he was masterful in his delivery. His comedic timing was impeccable and his brilliance was unmatched.
The score by Christopher Benstead was outstanding and kept the tension flowing. The soundtrack is always great in Guy Ritchie’s films and this was no different. The pacing in this film was nothing but perfection. I loved that we had time to breathe with the characters and be truly immersed in their world. The only problem I had were a few story event conveniences. If you’ve been holding your breath for Guy Ritchie to return to his roots, then now is the time to release and breath steadily. This was a true return of the master filmmaker Guy Ritchie is and undoubtedly one of the most fun and best films of 2020. This is a MUST see.
