From March 7, you can watch the crime series “Gentlemen” on the Netflix platform, the author of which is the famous English director and screenwriter Guy Ritchie. This is a spin-off of his eponymous feature film with Matthew McConaughey, which can be safely called one of Richie’s best films, in recent years, that’s for sure. In the review below, we tell you whether the series does not look like an unfortunate rudiment against the background of the original project and what it offers apart from its hit predecessor.

Pros:

an exciting criminal plot in the spirit of Guy Ritchie (with showdowns, intrigue, absurdity, etc.); if not outstanding, but still a good cast, especially in secondary roles; the presence of Vinnie Jones, who was an indispensable element in Ritchie’s early films; in the crime story of the English director and screenwriter, there was finally a lot of space for a female character; link to the original

Cons:

compared to the original “Gentlemen”, the series loses in all respects; the fourth episode breaks the given rhythm; lack of originality, some freshness and secondaryness; the limb is slightly pulled behind the ears

7.5/10

Estimated by ITC.ua

“Gentlemen” / The Gentlemen

Genre crime drama, comedy
Director Guy Ritchie
In roles Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Peter Serafinowicz, Vinnie Jones, Ray Winstone
Premiere Netflix
Graduation year 2024
Site IMDb

Military man Eddie Halstead returns home to his native England, where his father is giving his last instructions to his son on his deathbed. Already after the death of the old man, who was a wealthy duke and owned an ancient estate, it turns out that it is Eddie who inherits his father’s title and his property. This turns out to be the extremely disgruntled eldest son of the deceased Freddy – a complete idiot who owes a large sum to some not-so-friendly Liverpool men in tracksuits.

In search of money, Eddie enlists the support of a young gangster, Susie Glass, who runs a local branch of the marijuana business. One of the underground greenhouses is located on the territory of the Halstead estate, which is a real surprise for the brothers. In the initial stages of cooperation, Eddie and Susie are on the same side of the barricade, but over time, the newly-minted duke takes increasingly fierce steps to get rid of the plantation located in his yard. After conquering Hollywood and turning to different genres a little over 4 years ago, Guy Ritchie is back to what he does best – British crime comedy-drama with bright characters and exciting male showdowns. This return to the roots turned out to be truly triumphant – the film was positively received by both viewers and critics, and its characters and local acuteness became a real decoration of the plot.

“Gentlemen” managed to hit the big screen just in time for the era of covid, the onset of which probably convinced Ritchie to make the project for streaming. It became known about the intention to create a serial spinoff “Gentlemen” back in October 2020, just at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Over the next three years, the multi-millionaire director managed to shoot three more feature films, two of which featured the manly baldness of the transporter-protector-mechanic-beekeeper and God knows who Jason Statham, and now he is releasing new “Gentlemen” on Netflix.

In the context of comparison with the original film, the serial version loses in all parameters — from the twist of the plot to the charisma of the actors.

First of all, the main cast is clearly more modest here and, as a result, the main characters are less colorful. In addition, the dialogues are not as witty as in the predecessor, and the story is not very complicated; from that – more predictable. Ritchie did not abandon his favorite formalist techniques, such as playing with editing or, for example, using music to match the mood of a scene (the symphony orchestra and chorus are particularly memorable), but he lost a little in inventiveness. Because of this, the show, which is already lacking in originality, seems stale.

But in terms of the content of “Gentlemen”, it is, although somewhat skimmed, still a typical Guy Ritchie, even if it is smeared with generous serial timing and diluted by other directors. The first two episodes, directed by him, make up a single mini-plot and come together in one breath, because the absurd madness characteristic of Richie’s paintings is harmoniously adjacent to the exciting and intriguing search for ways to solve a serious problem. The situation worsens somewhat starting from the fourth series, when it is already clear that the horizontal series has turned into a horizontal-vertical one and each episode is some new adventure. It is then that the set rhythm noticeably slows down, and new obstacles on the path of the heroes sometimes seem to be sucked out of the finger. In general, sag at the equator stage is a typical phenomenon for modern shows, especially Netflix shows, and it is especially noticeable when binge-watching.

At the same time, it is quite obvious that closer to the climax, the viewer will be returned to the initial plot line, although it will unfold – it is hard to guess here.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in “Gentlemen” is the full-fledged main role of a female character, because women are traditionally given minor roles in the strict male worlds of English cinematographers. Susie Glass, played by the bright Kaya Scodelario, is on the same level as Theo James’ hero, and with her experience in the criminal environment, she will give the Duke of Halstead a big head start. At the same time, some well-known Rihiv chips migrated here as well. These are interconnected storylines, when numerous elements of the puzzle converge at the end, and boxing fights as an important attribute of the story, and all kinds of whimsical character accents aimed at comic effect. The latter feel especially good due to the lack of Ukrainian dubbing (only subtitles are available). And from time to time, the whole Paiwi camp will appear in the frame.

It should not be forgotten that the events take place in the universe of Guy Ritchie, where there is always room for, let’s say, a certain eccentricity. In one of the scenes, a completely wild trigger phrase “Russians sitting calmly next to Ukrainians” sounds, but it should be understood that it sounds at an underground boxing match with high stakes, where people who are not burdened by high moral principles have gathered. Simply put – bandits and criminals with money. Or, for example, the plot features a character who worships Hitler and keeps the Führer’s testicle preserved in formaldehyde. As a result, it will become a shepherd dog’s dinner, which is remarkably German.

If you are ready for another crime story from Guy Ritchie, where such absurd things exist, or just a fan of the work of the former Madonna, the new series is definitely not to be missed. At the same time, you won’t find the refreshing effect that the original film once had here in the afternoon with the fire. But did anyone seriously count on it?

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Conclusion:

“Gentlemen” deserves attention, especially for all those interested in the work of the English cinematographer. But this is a league of less distinguished gentlemen, as in the predecessor of the same name.