The end of the old year and the first few months of the new one are always crucial for cinematography around the world. While Christmas and New Years give us an opportunity to reminisce with some old favourites on TV, the awards season highlights many of the year’s best new releases.
Checking out the nominees for the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes, and the Academy Awards is a must for any cineaphile, but many a quality watch misses the final cut. Read on while we make the case for Guy Ritchie’s latest.
Up to a certain point, the British director might have been more famous for his marriage to Madonna. But that does not mean he hasn’t made anything enjoyable. Wider audiences might best know the Englishman for his involvement in the Sherlock Holmes franchise and a few blockbuster propositions that have earned mixed reviews such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and last year’s live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin.
The Gentlemen, Richie’s latest, sees him make something of a return to his more well received roots. Witty gangangster movies such as ‘Snatch’, a story of robbers and boxers, are how Richie cemented himself as a main player in the world of UK cinema. His first full length fetaure, the acclaimed ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,’ was an equally amusing tale filled with the unexpected and also one of the most appreciated movies with a high stakes card theme.
Some argue that the new film builds pretty well on Richies infamous witty, cockney crime comedies. In any case, even if you’re not particularly in love with the director’s early work, or perhaps not a fan at all, you should be able to enjoy ‘The Gentlemen’ nonetheless. It’s full of entertaining high-tension moments, smart dialogue, excellent and dynamic editing and a lot of humor.
Without getting too deep into the plot details, the story concentrates around an American expat who tries to sell his drug empire in London, which, naturally, triggers all sorts of shenanigans. In the leading roles, there is also much to admire about the talented performances by Matthew McConaughey and Charlie Hunnam.