The Gentlemen l STX l January 24, 2020 | Guy Ritchie directs l COLIN FARRELL IS HERE l Also Matthew McConaughey, Henry Golding | Hugh Grant in fine form.

[Avatree]

Perfectly decent and enjoyable. Found it tricky to follow when it has plot reliance on characters with barely any screen time.

Even though the film is all exposition. (It's literally one person telling a story to another person for the whole run time).

 

But for the most part, funny and engaging.  Hugh Grant is superb.

[JB33]

Loving these positive reactions! Hopefully there's some buzz build-up going into the domestic release and we see a healthy OW.

[JB33]

On 1/6/2020 at 4:07 PM, Avatree said:

Perfectly decent and enjoyable. Found it tricky to follow when it has plot reliance on characters with barely any screen time.

Even though the film is all exposition. (It's literally one person telling a story to another person for the whole run time).

 

But for the most part, funny and engaging.  Hugh Grant is superb.

So basically this film is another example of one in which some of the stars basically have cameos (like, say, McConaughey in Wolf of Wall Street)?

[DeeCee]

New demographic report. 
 

My parents saw it and loved it. 

[Avatree]

4 hours ago, JB33 said:

So basically this film is another example of one in which some of the stars basically have cameos (like, say, McConaughey in Wolf of Wall Street)?

No, all the "stars" get decent screentime, it's characters played by actors I've not seen before, who get little time with us, but have plot points hanging over their heads. Just a little difficult to remember everything.

[Ipickthiswhiterose]

I really enjoyed this more than I was anticipating. Probably prefer it even Richie's earlier blokey-blokey films. What it loses in him no longer being grounded in anything like that world, it gains in his improved storytelling skills.

 

There's still some daft showey-offy sub-Tarantino dialogue that veers into cringe once or twice but for the most part the excellent acting covers it. And there's actually just a really good, solid, enjoyable story going on here, told well by a man who has clearly learned quite a lot by rubbing shoulders with massive broad populism for a bit.

[wildphantom]

Sat in my seat waiting for this to start. Tons of over 60’s in here - gives you an idea of how loved Richie’s late 90’s films were. 

[Jonwo]

I was impressed that Matthew McConaughey was believable as an American ex-pat, it would have been very easy to make seem a bit out of place but he fit right in. 

 

 

[wildphantom]

This is the kind of movie that’s difficult for film critics to review. It unabashedly basks in the geezer cockney stereotyping of Ritchie’s most famous work. In the considerably more politically correct 2020 it could be seen as irresponsible, and the movie certainly has nothing profound to say - revelling in the way it used to be. If that offends you in 2020, then this isn’t the movie for you. 

For the Lock, Stock/Snatch crowd - this is made for that audience. If you loved those movies you’re going to have a great time. I did.  I can find something funny, whilst acknowledging that doesn’t necessarily fit my world view. It’s called genre. Some comedy offends people. Sometimes those it’s apparently offending actually enjoy the stereotyping.  Nobody is going to take cartoon characters like this seriously. Do people really think audiences believe anybody talks like the characters here? They’re reciting Guy Ritchie dialogue - dialled to 11.  It’s not celebrating anything other than the movies. 

The Gentlemen is a silly, cockney gangster caper with its tongue firmly in its cheek - and there ain’t nothing wrong with that.  Made by the master of this particular sub-genre. 
 

His best and most knowing film in 20 years in my opinion.  

Edited January 9, 2020 by wildphantom

[snarkmachine]

between this and paddington 2 and a very english scandal, i am here for the hughnaissance

 

i always felt he wasted too many peak years doing bad romantic comedies when he has always been a far more interesting actor than his looks would imply

[JB33]

1 hour ago, snarkmachine said:

between this and paddington 2 and a very english scandal, i am here for the hughnaissance

 

i always felt he wasted too many peak years doing bad romantic comedies when he has always been a far more interesting actor than his looks would imply

It seems like this same thing happened with Matthew McConaughey. Spend the first phase of your career being a pretty boy and doing sappy romantic comedies. Then, some time later, he emerges as a talented actor you can take seriously and whose performances are very entertaining. I look forward to seeing what Hugh Grant has got going on in the near future.

[snarkmachine]

6 hours ago, JB33 said:

It seems like this same thing happened with Matthew McConaughey. Spend the first phase of your career being a pretty boy and doing sappy romantic comedies. Then, some time later, he emerges as a talented actor you can take seriously and whose performances are very entertaining. I look forward to seeing what Hugh Grant has got going on in the near future.

very true (although on the whole, hugh’s romcoms are leagues better and more beloved than matthew’s). someone get this man his dallas buyers club!

[dudalb]

Seems to be a lot lighter in tone then the classic Ritchie crime dramas, but still hugely entertaining. I will be there for this one.

I love Ritchie the crime thriller director, never liked Ritchie the big budget extravaganza director very much.

[JB33]

1 hour ago, dudalb said:

Seems to be a lot lighter in tone then the classic Ritchie crime dramas, but still hugely entertaining. I will be there for this one.

I love Ritchie the crime thriller director, never liked Ritchie the big budget extravaganza director very much.

What did you think of his Aladdin?

[cdsacken]

Can't wait to see this. Basically guaranteed I will love it

[Nova]

I’m interested to see how this does at the box office considering the positive reviews/WOM it’s getting. Wouldn’t be surprised at high teens low twenties but box office is wonky so who knows. 

[JB33]

2 hours ago, Nova said:

I’m interested to see how this does at the box office considering the positive reviews/WOM it’s getting. Wouldn’t be surprised at high teens low twenties but box office is wonky so who knows. 

Yeah this seems primed for a mini-breakout. However it all depends if those surprisingly positive reviews translate to the audience. Sometimes the audience doesn't give a crap about a movie, regardless of reviews. Kind of like a Paddington situation.

[Nova]

3 minutes ago, JB33 said:

Yeah this seems primed for a mini-breakout. However it all depends if those surprisingly positive reviews translate to the audience. Sometimes the audience doesn't give a crap about a movie, regardless of reviews. Kind of like a Paddington situation.

I feel like unless it’s an Oscar film (like American Sniper or 1917) or an MLK release people view any January releases as bad movies. So they may have seen a trailer for this but then saw the release date and thought the studio was just trying to get rid of it. I’m hoping for a mini breakout too but I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t happen. 

[JB33]

34 minutes ago, Nova said:

I feel like unless it’s an Oscar film (like American Sniper or 1917) or an MLK release people view any January releases as bad movies. So they may have seen a trailer for this but then saw the release date and thought the studio was just trying to get rid of it. I’m hoping for a mini breakout too but I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t happen. 

Pretty much, yeah. Though is the whole January stigma known amongst the GA? I figured it was just us box office nerds.

[Nova]

8 minutes ago, JB33 said:

Pretty much, yeah. Though is the whole January stigma known amongst the GA? I figured it was just us box office nerds.

None of my friends see the movies released in January because they “suck,” is a quote ive gotten several times over the years when asking to see a film with a January release. 

Edited January 16, 2020 by Nova