Look, I’m still upset he isn’t tackling the Sherlock Holmes Threequel (Rocketman’s Dexter Fletcher now has the reigns), but I mean, if this is what we got instead, then I am A-OKAY with that! The performances from Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, and Colin Farrell alone are worth the price of admission, and then some, with each of them delivering in spades. Hunnam gives one of this best performances of his entire career, while Farrell and Grant get to totally play two of the most wild roles in either of their careers, in the best way possible. Matthew Mcconaughey, Eddie Marsan (I feel like he is in everything nowadays, and I am HERE FOR IT! Man killed it in Happy Go Lucky), and Jeremy Strong are also all in this, and are also all wonderfully cast in each of their roles, but the one other key member of The Gentlemen would be none other than Henry Golding. Outside of Awkwafina, Golding was the standout performance for me in Crazy Rich Asians, and since then I’ve only seen him in two other films; Last Christmas and this. I think he has unlimited potential as a leading man, and feel as if he’s on the verge of truly breaking out, with his role here only solidifying that notion.

The plot is not anything to write home about, and feels more Oceans Eleven than your typical gangster film, with the narrative being explained through conversations and voiceovers, with extended sequences of leading the audience to think one thing happened, only to explain that somebody else was one step ahead and had planned for all of it to happen (being vague to avoid spoilers). That can probably be very hit or miss depending on personal tastes, but as an avid fan of the Oceans films, I thought it worked just as well here.

Gif from The Gentlemen (2020)

The most shocking aspect of the experience here was that there weren’t any big action sequences. With Ritchie, I’ve grown accustomed to his stylized action sequences and yet this film is largely just based on conversations, drug dealing, and Colin Farrell not knowing how to pronounce Phuc. The dialogue throughout is hilarious and well written, with everyone delivering it to a tee. From Fletcher’s over-the-top flamboyant behavior, to Coach’s band of merry misfits and their overtly British rap anthem, the comedy just hits again and again, hitting almost every mark it takes, which outside of the cast’s great chemistry, is arguably the film’s strongest asset.