(L to R) Theo James as Eddie Horniman in ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo: Kevin Baker/Netflix. Copyright: © 2023, Netflix Inc.
Launching on Netflix will all eight episodes on Thursday March 7th, ‘The Gentlemen’ finds Guy Ritchie –– the man behind ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’, ‘Snatch’ and even more relevantly ‘The Gentlemen’ –– in a very familiar place, for a story that is his most effective in years.
Though it doesn’t exactly shoot its way out of the filmmaker’s comfort zone, it’s still a fine addition to his canon and proves he’s one of the best when it comes to culture clash, UK gangster action and witty repartee. Plus, it’s far better than the lackluster TV version of ‘Snatch’ that he wasn’t involved with.
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Does ‘The Gentlemen’ muscle its way to success?
(L to R) Kaya Scodelario as Susie Glass and Theo James as Eddie Horniman in ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo: Christopher Rafael/Netflix. Copyright: © 2023, Netflix Inc.
After a few years jumping from genre to genre, switching between the big studio likes of ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’, ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ (both fizzled attempts to launch franchises) and ‘Aladdin’, and more indie fare such as ‘Wrath of Man’ ‘Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre’ and ‘The Covenant’, it was almost reassuring that one of those jumps landed on something truly familiar –– ‘The Gentlemen’, the story of an American (Matthew McConaughey) looking to offload his marijuana empire and coming up against a variety of crooked types, both posh and not.
Though it didn’t get the same reaction as Ritchie’s earlier swims in the criminal pool, it was reassuringly fun. And we’re happy to report that the TV show which borrows its milieu but focuses on an entirely new set of characters and story, is great on its own terms.
Script and Direction
Guy Ritchie on the set of ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo: Kevin Baker/Netflix. Copyright: © 2023, Netflix Inc.
Ritchie worked with Matthew Read, who has written movies such as ‘Pusher’, ‘Sword of Vengeance’, and ‘Hammer of the Gods’ and TV series including ‘The Pursuit of Love’ and (for a total curveball) the latest adaptation of kids’ adventure books ‘The Famous Five’. Together, they cranked out all eight episodes, and the result is a talky, extremely watchable mash-up of gangster tropes and something more like ‘Downton Abbey’.
While American audiences might need to break out a British slang-to-US English dictionary at times (and rat-a-tat dialogue will almost certainly cry out for closed captions unless you have someone from the UK on hand to translate, the chatter really works, each new character met given their own particular patter and winning style.
Ritchie launched the show’s tone via the first two episodes, with David Caffrey, Eran Creevy and Nima Nourizadeh sharing duties on the rest, and it all hangs together perfectly, the zippy, outlandish flourishes never overwhelming the twisty story.
Performances
(L to R) Theo James, Josh Finan, and Vinnie Jones in ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo: Christopher Rafael/Netflix. Copyright: © 2023, Netflix Inc.
Theo James has been more known for his work in the dysfunctional ‘Divergent’ franchise, where he was largely a bland, handsome leading type. But it is on the small screen that he has found the space to stretch himself. ‘The White Lotus’ cast him as an overprivileged type and in ‘The Gentlemen’, he’s got even more privilege.
But for the new show, the crown weighs a little heavier, as James plays Edward “Eddie” Halstead, newly anointed as an earl following his father’s death. Eddie never wanted to play the rich man’s game: he left to join the British Army, yet discovers that his sprawling family stately home comes with a secret weed growing operation… And that he’s more comfortable straddling the aristocratic and criminal worlds than he expected.
James still isn’t quite the charismatic center the show needs all the time, but he fits right into the role, and he’s mostly the straight man anyway, with others upping the entertainment game.
Kaya Scodelario, a fellow veteran of big screen franchise fare including the ‘Maze Runner’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ series. Here, she’s cockney gangster royalty Susie Glass, who runs her father’s weed operation with an iron fist. Scodelario is excellent, whether she’s winning people over with her personality or fixing what needs to be fixed.
Ray Winstone as Bobby Glass in ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo: Christopher Rafael/Netflix. Copyright: © 2023, Netflix Inc.
Whether she’s playing off of James or meeting with her imprisoned dad (British acting royalty Ray Winstone, who can play this type of role in his sleep but is wide awake here), Scodelario’s Susie is the main reason to watch the show.
Together, the lead pair butt up against a variety of great British and American character actors, even small roles made memorable by the likes of Peter Serafinowicz, Daniel Ings (as Eddie’s wayward older brother Freddie), Max Beesley, Joely Richardson and Vinnie Jones, the soccer-player-turned-actor who has been a growly good luck charm for Ritchie’s other gangster work.
There’s great work all over the place here, the cast really gelling and making the most of chewy wordage.
Final Thoughts
Theo James as Eddie Horniman in ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo: Christopher Rafael/Netflix. Copyright: © 2023, Netflix Inc.
Ritchie has had mixed fortunes in recent years, so it’s good to see him finding success in a field where he’s excelled. ‘The Gentlemen’ will certainly bring a smile to the face of anyone who remembers the director’s earlier, swearier films.
And the TV format allows the story to breathe, and smaller roles the space they require to be memorable. Mostly notably, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, the eight episodes feeling like the right length for the tale to unfold and leaving you wanting more.
‘The Gentlemen’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
(Center) Giancarlo Esposito in the ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo: Kevin Baker/Netflix. Copyright: © 2023, Netflix Inc.
What’s the story of ‘The Gentlemen’?
‘The Gentlemen’ sees Eddie Horniman (Theo James) unexpectedly inherit his father’s sizeable country estate –– only to discover it’s part of a cannabis empire. Moreover, a host of unsavory characters from Britain’s criminal underworld want a piece of the operation.
Determined to extricate his family from their clutches, Eddie tries to play the gangsters at their own game. However, as he gets sucked into the world of criminality, he begins to find a taste for it.
Who is in ‘The Gentlemen’?
Beyond James, the cast also includes Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Vinnie Jones, Giancarlo Esposito, Chanel Cresswell, Michael Vu, Max Beesley, Jasmine Blackborow, Harry Goodwins, Dar Salim, Pearce Quigley, Ruby Sear and Peter Serafinowicz.
(L to R) Guy Ritchie and Vinnie Jones on the set of ‘The Gentlemen.’ Photo: Christopher Rafael/Netflix. Copyright: © 2023, Netflix Inc.