The Gentlemen

They’re slightly misogynistic, but who doesn’t love a Guy Richie movie? He uses camera angles that are unusual, well-defined characters, and punchy dialog. He gives us a slice of ol’ Blighty that smells of fine leather and cigars. The people are always super well dressed, be they street or refined. Guy Richie has a very strong visual style, and I like it.

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This 8-episode series has been spun off from the 2017 movie of the same name and has a new cast.

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Theo James, the lead protagonist, hits just the right note between nobleman and soldier. He holds and expresses the power of his character very well. As does Ray Winstone who plays the patriarch of the Glass family. He hits just the right note between teddy bear and terrifying mob boss. Also excellent in this is Giancarlo Esposito, who seems to be leaving a wake behind him of bad guys that he has uniquely defined.

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Do I recommend it? Yes, with qualifiers. It’s graphically violent. I have to look away from a Guy Richie movie about 15% of the time. But it’s worth it. The characters, the clothes, the high-stakes interactions, the methods of storytelling, the obvious mastery of filmmaking is a pleasure. This is a bloody, whose-side-are-you-on? romp.

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I have two small gripes. First, is that Guy Richie uses a certain technique of storytelling again and again. In this movie he came to the edge of using it too much. Second, is that the downside of Guy Richie’s glorification of the masculine archetype is the bummer of too much of that.

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The ending leaves a bad taste in the mouth. These days, it's not satisfying when the nasty patriarch wins.

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All told, an excellent series.