Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Gentlemen Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 27, 2020

The Gentlemen may not reach the same plane of existence in which films like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels exist, but it's also a wonderfully crafted it not narratively trite but authentically "Guy Ritchie" experience, returning to the roots that bore more unrelated commercialized fruits like Aladdin, Sherlock Holmes, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. With The Gentlemen, Ritchie essentially folds together the best of both worlds, crafting a film true to his strengths and the films that made him famous but he does it on a larger scale to highly impressive technical result. It's a strong outing that hopefully portends more early Ritchie rather than contemporary Ritchie with future projects.

Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) has been in the dope growing and selling business for years. Beginning at the bottom and working his way to the top, he’s a true criminal success story who has built his empire within the foundations of English royalty, quietly literally. Various English Lords and other high society types, desperate to stay afloat and maintain social positioning, take Pearson’s cash in exchange for growing opportunities beneath their feet. It’s been a lucrative run but he and his wife Rosalind (Michelle Dockery) are ready to get out of the game. Pearson eyes selling the business for $400,000,000 to American Matthew Berger (Jeremy Strong), but as is so often the case when big money and bigger fortunes in narcotics are involved, all does not go according to plan...or does it?

Ritchie's script approaches the material primarily from the perspective of a PI named Fletcher (Hugh Grant) who lays out the tale to Pearson's trusted colleague Raymond (Charlie Hunnam) and has been so taken by its twists and complex moving parts that he's assembled it in the form of a movie script he dreams of one day seeing on the big screen in all of its glory. But his story doesn't end on the page, and Ritchie's richly leaps off of it. As with the filmmaker's previous, and best, efforts, The Gentlemen requires a concerted effort on the audience's part to fully appreciate. It demands strict investments in attention and energy and only gradually does it fold its many moving pieces into a coherent, cohesive entity. That said, the story isn't particularly engaging. The characters are more a product of the involved performances, the intimate and energized portrayals, than they are the general wheeling and dealing and maneuvering that crudely defines them on the page. It's more in the way Ritchie, Cinematographer Alan Stewart, Editor James Herbert, and Composer Christopher Benstead piece The Gentlemen all together that makes it work more so than its narrative fundamentals. The story bears fruit but most savvy audiences who have seen these pieces in play before will find the construction rather than the content to be the most riveting component that drives The Gentlemen to success.

The film's technical merits star but The Gentlemen soars thanks to the gentlemen (and the gentle lady) who make it all happen on their side of the screen. Hugh Grant and Collin Ferrell dazzle in secondary parts that become transformative roles for them. They chew scenery like nobody's business and even if they're not top billed they earn top marks for energy and scene-stealing brilliance (and props to the costume department, too...these guys just ooze "cool"). McConaughey's work as Mickey Pearson is balanced and true. The actor finds the perfect emotional response to every scene, from calm business dealings to high intensity as he pulls the trigger. He's deeply invested in the character, understanding not the superficialities but the core components that drive him through the story and towards his destiny, both as the character has previously grown to control an empire to where he is now attempting to escape from it, for a hefty price tag that nobody wants to pay.

The Gentlemen Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The digitally photographed The Gentlemen shines on Blu-ray. The film's lighting and cinematography occasionally give it an airy, lightened, soft look but the Blu-ray handles the intended visual constructs precisely. Details are quite good, offering intimate views of necessary elements like skin and clothing but also the varied location elements and textural odds and ends that give life to the film's varied environments, which range from pricey English estates to the pot growing centers below them. Everything is in good working order, delivering a well-rounded array of object niceties to explore throughout. Colors are not meant to draw attention away from anything. Beyond the occasional lightness there's a good neutrality to the palette that allows clothes to breathe and environments to find plenty of natural life. Skin tones generally hit the mark and black levels are fine. Noise in some density is obvious throughout, with a few moments of intense spikes that border on distraction. Other source issues are no to be found and there are no encode anomalies of note.

The Gentlemen Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Gentlemen's Dolby Atmos soundtrack is a treat. Music is a critical cog in the film's cadence and Universal's track delivers it beautifully with full clarity to instrumental elements and lyrics alike. Width impresses, depth is steady and complimentary, and some overhead components fold in for a fuller feel. There are some enjoyable discrete overhead effects, such as a passing vehicle in chapter 11, but it's the more dynamic moments -- a severe car accident and the concussive depth to follow in chapter 15, for example -- that make the biggest impact. Gunfire hits plenty hard, and while there's not a steady stream of it, the odd shot does make a big impact. Environmental fill satisfies requirements and listeners will always feel a part of the locations, even if the support is minor. Dialogue is steady in clarity, position, and prioritization.

The Gentlemen Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Gentlemen contains several brief and disappointingly vacuous extras. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Best Gentlemanly Quips (1080p, 3:09): A highlight reel of some of the film's more color dialogue.
• Glossary of Cannabis (1080p, 0:46): Scenes that cover the many names of May Jane.
• Behind the Scenes of The Gentlemen (1080p, 1:37): A lightning fast overview of Ritchie's style and the film's cadence.
• Photo Gallery (1080p): Several stills from the set.

The Gentlemen Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Gentlemen is classic, dynamic Ritche for its storytelling chops, though certainly the story proper doesn't offer a ton to chew on. The narrative tentacles stretch through a broad and diverse character roster and a number of complex moving parts. The film demands multiple viewings to fully appreciate and Ritchie ensures it holds up to several watches in close succession. Performances and the film's technical merits are the true highlights, though, and both of those components are above reproach. Universal's Blu-ray delivers strong video, excellent Atmos audio, and smattering of extras. Recommended.