4 reasons to watch Guy Ritchie's Gentlemen

On February 13, a crime comedy by director and screenwriter Guy Ritchie is released in Russia, whose previous works - "The Sword of King Arthur" and the Disney remake of "Aladdin" - have received mixed reviews. However, the trailer for "Gentlemen" hints at a return to the roots and therefore looks encouraging, because before the director was able to release one by one experimentally daring works that became box-office hits.

In the story, former Oxford graduate, American expat Mickey Pearson got rich selling marijuana. But, having gathered to sell his profitable business to another native of the United States - crime boss Matthew, the hero realizes that getting out of the game is far from as easy as it seemed to him.

With the help of this film, the British Tarantino pays tribute to the past, reminding that he can still shoot great pictures, full of witty dialogues, politically incorrect humor and spectacular fights.

Lifehacker tells why you should see this.

1. Tribute to tradition

Guy Ritchie's first works are loved for a variety of reasons. First of all, they are very musical. The soundtrack of the film "Lock, Stock, Two Barrels" at one time sold out in huge numbers. In this respect, the style of the British director is similar to that of the recognized genius of the crime genre Quentin Tarantino. Both directors are serious about the audio accompaniment of their films and strive to include everything that they like there.

Therefore, the opening shots of the new film, in which Matthew McConaughey walks confidently to the jukebox and turns on naughty folk-rock, seem to let the viewer know that good old Guy Ritchie is back and it will be hot now.

Stylish opening credits, which can be viewed as a stand-alone work, are another characteristic feature of the director, delighting his loyal fans. But this does not exhaust the list of traditional for Richie techniques used in "Gentlemen".

2. Spectacular visual techniques

The director developed his visual style at the same time as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and the Coen brothers, so their work has a lot in common - for example, static conversational scenes alternate with dynamic episodes, sudden deaths, fights and shootings.

All this can be found in Gentlemen. Moreover, from time to time, the feeling is created as if the viewer is watching a theatrical performance. But sooner or later, a conversation between well-dressed men will necessarily end with something unexpected: a scene of violence that has fallen on its head, or a sharp turn in the plot.

Other favorite techniques of the British director also returned, including clip and parallel editing. By competently gluing together the frames, the director draws a simple, but vivid analogy between a grilling piece of meat and a bloody massacre of one of the heroes. Another author's trick is funny explanatory inscriptions that are used to represent characters or describe individual situations. And due to this, a humorous effect is created.

3. Intricately twisted plot and colorful characters

Guy Ritchie is rightly considered one of those directors whose viewers are always wandering through the maze of storylines. Determining the main character of the film is often not easy, because as the action progresses, more and more new characters are wedged into the script.

For example, at the very beginning, we are introduced to Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) as the central figure of the entire action. But in the future, he does not so much participate in what is happening. At the same time, the plot significance of the secondary characters turns out to be much higher.

Among them is Mickey's nervous assistant named Ray (Charlie Hunnam), whose discipline and scrupulousness contrasts very strongly with the behavior of his unlucky opponents, the imposing private detective Fletcher (Hugh Grant) and the colorful physical cultured nicknamed Coach (Colin Farrell). Moreover, each of these and many other characters pretends to steal the heart of the viewer: they are all cute, funny and charming.

4. Incomparable style in every shot

Critics and viewers appreciate the work of Guy Ritchie not only for the fact that they combine the charm of the criminal world, sharp dialogues, courage and excitement, but also for the unique style of characters. Only this time, the showdown of tough London guys strongly resembles the Kingsman franchise: the people acting in the frame began to look so elegant.

Most of the clothes for the film were chosen by Richie himself. The director tried to take into account the characters of the characters, and a lot can be said about them by looking only at what they are dressed in. Mickey Pearson's impeccable tweed suit suggests that the drug lord managed to break into the ranks of the English aristocracy, but the Coach's checkered sports outfit betrays his working class origin.

However, despite the absence of radical changes in the director's style, there are still small changes. For example, a strong female character now plays a significant role in the plot. Although it was previously believed that Guy Ritchie shoots exclusively about men and for men. The film also pays a lot of attention to modern digital technologies - however, this does not prevent the film from remaining within the charming retro style.

Having removed "Gentlemen", Richie was able to fully rehabilitate himself as a director and questioned the indisputability of the expression "the past cannot be returned." This is the very time when even the most strict and prejudiced viewers should go to the cinema. Well, longtime fans will definitely remain happy.