5/17/20 - The Gentlemen (2020) - 5+/10

I was hoping for a touch of the old magic from Ritchie, as he was going back to the old gangster stomping grounds. You get a few heaving breaths, here and there, but mostly it was lightly vacant whispers. But, at least with this anything but gentle tale of men, it wasn’t horribly inept and uninteresting like his Robin Hood, King Arthur, and most things he has touched as of late.

There is some fun at work here. Hunnam and Grant were both strong, though it is Farrel that easily takes it home. His witty and funny strong armed mentor reminded me of a less evocative Mickey (Brad Pitt) from Snatch. Darkly effervescent and eccentric. 

It tries too hard, wanting to be too clever and too satisfied with itself. None of it really felt earnest, much more like a put upon show. It completely feels like a film that would have killed in 1999, but by this point, it’s not fresh or amazing. It is enjoyable enough, but it was too flat and not quite quirky enough.