The Gentlemen (2020)

I won’t be the first person to write that this is a return to form for Guy Ritchie, so I won’t write that. Instead I’ll say that The Gentlemen is right up there with his first two films--Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels & Snatch. If that doesn’t get you wet in the panties, you should stop reading my reviews.

Within 5 minutes you will lean over to your mates and quickly whisper about how brilliant Hugh Grant is in his role. And what a role it is! Many actors would kill to get their teeth into a character like this, and most of them would squander the opportunity. Not Hugh Grant. He nails the cadence, accent, colloquialisms, gestures, and expressions masterfully. It’s an Oscar worthy performance that will sadly be forgotten come next award season.

But enough about Hugh. Guy Ritchie deserves a lot of credit too. It's his film through and through, which means I’d be crapping all over him right now if it sucked. Instead I’m piling on a hefty portion of praise. The screenplay shines and the editing elevates the material. I laughed a ton. Soundtrack is fun. Cast is solid. There are a lot of moving parts that were expertly balanced.

A word of advice. Pay attention. Don’t watch while trying to do other things. Put down your phone. Don’t watch with parents who constantly ask questions. And don’t turn on the subtitles! You won’t be able to keep up and ultimately they will be a distraction. Instead, drink some caffeine and give it your full attention. The accents are diverse and thick with slang, but the wordplay is a cocaine roller coaster.

Rating: B+