A British drug (McConaughey) lord tries to sell off his highly profitable marijuana empire to a dynasty of Oklahoma billionaires.

It’s been some time since virtuoso filmmaker Guy Ritchie has been in proper gangster territory, but now the good filmmaker has returned to the genre that he has helped shaped through the decades and he injects new blood, heavy drama and a whole heap of new villains back into The Gentlemen. And the result is a very fun watch. Telling the intersecting story of marijuana kingpin Mickey Pearson (McConaughey), an American expat who is the Julius Caesar of the marijuana business and has conquered all of Britain, with both sensational cunning and a brutal hand when needed. This very proper gangster is now trying to find a way to ride off into the sunset and it’s from here that things get very interesting.

This posh tale is in keeping with all of Ritchie’s favourite toys as a filmmaker and he gets to have a lot of fun as he once again traverses the entirety of the English establishment, from its polished aristocracy to the squalor of the slums, as he spins this original tale of gangsters, money and a whole heap of skunk. The Gentlemen is a film that screams to be seen on the big screen, in bold, crisp 35mm film, and with its colourful cast of characters and twisting narrative, you won’t see whats coming next. Ritchie’s style here is both his own, but there’s also a Hitchcockian touch here and it almost feels like this film is somewhat like Charade…but with more gangsters, pocket squares and c-bombs. You’re engaged from start to finish and Ritchie has you hook, line and sinker with a narrative that you won’t want to look away from until the very end.

Standing front and centre in The Gentlemen is Matthew McConaughey as the flat cap wearing, herringbone suited gang lord Michael ‘Mickey’ Pearson. An American expat and former Rhodes Scholar who turned his talents from academics to drug dealing and in the process formed a fearsome reputation for getting things done, along with accumulating great wealth, who now finds himself at a crossroads. But when things take a turn, and chaos erupts in this criminal jungle the lion lashes out and McConaughey goes to work. The pairing of Ritchie and McConaughey is an absolute dream come true and his resulting performance shows off his abilities. McConaughey makes for one hell of an impressive gangster and just like Al Pacino established the standard for gangster cool in the 1980s, so too does McConaughey refines it for a brand new decade in The Gentlemen.

Assisting McConaughey’s Pearson is Charlie Hunnam as Raymond, Pearson’s bespectacled number two man and all-around caretaker and consigliere. While his first appearance marks him out as a somewhat over-the-top accountant and logistics man, it soon becomes apparent that Raymond has far more violent talents that Pearson puts to good use and when you need someone to operate the bonesaw, Raymond’s the man for the job. Hunnam revels in the role, and he’s a great fit for this completely orderly individual who starts to crack at having to deal with the multiple of problems that are laid at his feet. You completely buy into his performance and he gets to show his stuff off, which results in some fearsomely violent actions, along with laugh out loud hysterics caused by some hilarious impromptu black comedy moments.

Coming up against McConaughey’s Pearson is Henry Golding who throws away his nice guy charm and instead adopts the hungry jackal feralness of upstart gangster Dry Eye who wants in on Pearson’s business and ain’t about to take no for an answer. Cast as the chief bad guy, Golding does a complete 360 here and it’s fun to watch him revel in his darker side. Dry Eye is a particularly nasty piece of work, and Golding gets to cut loose here as this thoroughly uninhibited ‘millennial firecracker’ whose got his own gangster flash style going on, and which is very reminiscent of the classic Steve McQueen look, as he looks to make his bones. Dry Eye is a worthy adversary for McConaughey in this gangster game of cat and mouse and he delivers the goods.

They say behind every great man there’s an even greater woman and for McConaughey’s Mickey Pearson that couldn’t be truer. Michelle Dockery takes on the role of his tough-as-nails and extremely classy wife Rosalind, and this Cockney Cleopatra, alongside her American Caesar, has conquered the British Isles totally and completely with both style and smarts. Dockery drops her gentrified stance that we’ve come to expect from her thanks to her work in Downton Abbey and instead adopts the all-business demeanour of Ros. She talks fast, walks fast and does not suffer fools and you invest in the shared chemistry that she and McConaughey have together as husband and wife on-screen. In a film that is filled to the brim with a whole pack of lads, Dockery is able to carve out her own space and her appearance is one of the most memorable parts of the entire film.

Popping up in The Gentlemen and completely turning heads is Colin Farrell as Coach. Like his name implies he’s a boxing/MMA coach who handles a group of trouble makers who call themselves The Toddlers, and who spend most of their time causing scraps and making fight videos that they upload to YouTube. But when his charges’ actions pull him into Pearson’s world he’s not impressed and his mean side quickly jumps out with terrifying results. Farrell’s turn in The Gentlemen is a performance that is unlike anything he’s ever done before and he’s quick on his feet and even quicker with the jab. It’s clear that he had a ball working with Ritchie and his appearance in The Gentleman is a bit of stand-out fun.

Finally, in a scene-stealing performance, Hugh Grant arrives on the scene as Fletcher, a sleazy private eye who’s always looking for an angle and who is far and away the most crooked character in all of London. This is Hugh Grant like you’ve never seen him before as he drops his usual classy persona and adopts this bottom feeder character and the result is a clear riot. Trust me when I say that you’ve never seen anything like this before in Grant’s career and Fletcher is equal parts scene-stealer and meta-character, and is the lens by whom Ritchie critiques and commentates on the current state of British society, and its changing of the guard. I can’t remember seeing a character this original since Dickin’s Fagin, and Grant’s turn as this cooky villain is sensationally fun to watch.

The Gentlemen is a terrific return to the old school for Guy Ritchie who once again proves that he’s the undoubted headmaster when it comes to the crime genre. Original, outlandish, wild and completely bonkers, this one is a crazy fun watch and you’ll walk out of it wanting to invest in a flat cap and pocket square while you brush up on your cockney rhyme.

Image: Roadshow Films

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The brand new trailer for The Gentlemen has just been released and it’s an absolute riot. Check it out below:

Here’s the full synopsis:

A British drug (McConaughey) lord tries to sell off his highly profitable marijuana empire to a dynasty of Oklahoma billionaires.

Set in contemporary London, The Gentlemen takes audiences into the world of Matthew McConaughey’s American-born expat Mickey Pearson, who has made England his home and with a combination of grit and smarts has created a vast marijuana empire. Now trying to get out of the game and enjoy a leisurely life, his business is threatened by a whole host of classic villains and things are about to get interesting from here.

The Gentlemen is classic Guy Ritchie, and there’s plenty of gnarly criminal moments, along with a good bit of zany comedy in this one, not to mention  some serious sartorial style.

In an interview with EW, Ritchie went into the motivation for making the film saying, “what I wanted to do was to bring subcultures together from both sides of the Atlantic. An American comes to England to be clever and get a job in the conventional fashion, but then takes his smarts through his connections at Oxford and realizes there’s more money to be made in the marijuana game, and capitalizes on the entrepreneurial New World spirit with the comfortable and exciting juxtaposition of British aristocracy. So what I wanted was British aristocracy, New World American drive, and all of the fun to be had with bringing those two worlds together. Marijuana’s kind of fun, but nevertheless serious and there’s money involved.”

Ritchie also said that film’s style and pacing instantly made him feel at ease at a director.

“It does feel like I’m on familiar territory here,” Ritchie said. “I loved making Aladdin, but this is obviously a very different world. We did them both in the same year. It was great to do both and sort of oscillate to the other polarity. That, I think we have done.”

With an incredible cast lead by McConaughey, which also includes Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant like you’ve never seen him before, well, this is about to get very interesting.

The Gentlemen is sure to be a fun film from beginning to end, and long-time Guy Ritchie are seriously going to dig this one when it is released on January 24, 2020.

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The final trailer for the long-awaited King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is finally here, and promises fans one hell of a good time.

Here’s the synopsis:

Running the back streets of medieval Londonium, Arthur Pendragon (Charlie Hunnam) is unaware of his royal lineage. Chancing upon the mythical sword Excalibur, the young street punk is drawn under its power and is pulled into a dangerous rebellion to overthrow tyrannical dictator Vortigern (Jude Law), the man who murdered Arthur’s father Uther (Eric Bana), and stole his kingdom from him. With the help of the beautiful and charismatic Guinevere (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey), Arthur will have to learn to wield the power of Excalibur and rise to become the hero that his people rightfully deserve.

Packed with energy, tension, and some brutal action set pieces, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword takes the traditional character of the noble King Arthur and completely flips it. This fresh take finds the young Arthur not raised as a prince, but the adopted son of three prostitutes who grows up to become a street-smart hood. But no man can escape destiny, and soon Hunnam’s Arthur comes up against his tyrannical uncle King Vortigern (Jude Law), and the stakes are raised for a brutal battle for the control of the throne.

The film recently earned buzz at this year’s CinemaCon, where Hunnam also received the award for Male Star of the Year. With a great slate of releases including James Grey’s The Lost City of Z, and the upcoming seminal prison break film Papillon, 2017 is going to be a great year for Hunnam.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword arrives on May 12 in the US and UK, and on May 18 in New Zealand and Australia.

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These foreboding words, uttered by Charlie Hunnam’s vengeful Arthur Pendragon, arrive in a quick succession of hard action and massive special effects in the brand new teaser for Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

The last few days have brought a string of releases for the new fantasy adventure including new look images, and the film’s first poster which has Hunnam’s intense young king in the making marked by a call to destiny with “from nothing comes a king”.

While the teaser might be short and sweet, it packs in a breathtaking scope of action including some hard-hitting street fights, a colossal battle across a mighty drawbridge and Hunnam’s Arthur unleashing the legendary Excalibur upon the forces of his tyrannical uncle Vortigern (Jude Law).

The new teaser certainly wet our appetite and we’re eagerly counting the days to the film’s release on May 11 in New Zealand and Australia and on May 12 in the US and UK.

Image: Roadshow Films

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While King Arthur was originally slated to be released back in 2015, the studio decided to push the date several times, before settling on a release date of May 11, 2017. While Ritchie expressed that competition did play a role in this, the director appeared to be thankful for the delay as it has allowed him and his team to craft some amazing visual effects and really tighten up the editing.

“I quite like taking some more time because I can see the trouble people find themselves in by forcing a visual effect, which really does need more time. We’ve had the luxury of sitting back. If we did not have that luxury, your visual effects aren’t going to be there. We’ve had a year, haven’t we? We’ve had a year to improve them, and today is the last visual effects meeting. It’s a year’s extra work,” said Ritchie.

The visionary director is promising a gritty and different take on the tale of King Arthur, who is normally portrayed as a noble, forthright character. However in this version, he is far more grounded, and is somewhat a back street hood when the film begins.

The casting of rising Hollywood star Charlie Hunnam was also a big win for the film, with the actor crafting a character who is hungry to protect those around him, and who really went for it with his dedication and training for the part. This work ethic was not lost on Ritchie, who said that both Hunnam and his co-star Astrid Berges-Frisby won their roles of Arthur and Guinevere through their passion and hard work.

The new images that Ritchie shared also give a fantastic look into the world of King Arthur with Hunnam in total hero mode as the completely shredded Arthur, and we also get to see the appearance of Djimon Hounsou’s Sir Bedivere, Aidan Gillen’s ‘Goosefat’ Bill Wilson, along with Jude Law’s sinister warlock and Arthur’s uncle, Vortigern.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is going to be a must-watch for action and fantasy fans, and will be released in cinemas on May 11 in New Zealand and Australia, and on May 12 in the US and UK.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Images: Roadshow Films

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Here’s the synopsis:

Based on true events, The Lost City of Z tells the story of British Army officer and explorer Col. Percy Fawcett (Hunnam) who in early 1900s made several expeditions into the heart of the Amazon rainforest to uncover the legendary city of El Dorado. 

Check out the trailer below:

The Lost City of Z looks to be an epic tale of one man’s maddening obsession to discover what others have merely dismissed as speculative legend. Hunnam looks particularly driven as Fawcett, and is joined by a fantastic supporting cast which includes Tom Holland as his son Jack, Robert Pattinson as his aid and fellow explorer Corporal Henry Costigan, and Sienna Miller as his wife Nina.

I’ve long regarded James Gray as one of modern cinema’s greatest auteurs with stunning works that include The Yards and We Own The Night, and the director appears to be invoking the frenzied mania of Apocalypse Now as he takes his audience deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle.

The Lost City of Z won praise at the New York Film Festival and is set to be released on April 21 in the US and UK and on May 4 in New Zealand and Australia.

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Running the back streets of medieval Londonium, Arthur Pendragon (Charlie Hunnam) is unaware of his royal lineage. Chancing upon the mythical sword Excalibur, the young street punk is drawn under its power and is pulled into a dangerous rebellion to overthrow tyrannical dictator Vortigern (Jude Law), the man who murdered Arthur’s father Uther (Eric Bana), and stole his kingdom from him. With the help of the beautiful and charismatic Guinevere (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey),Arthur will have to learn to wield the power of Excalibur and rise to become the hero that his people rightfully deserve.

Check out the trailer below:

Ritchie appears to be bringing his cult gangster aesthetic to this all-action sword and sorcery tale. It’s gritty, edgy and has a good dash of magic that should appeal to fans of fantasy. But while magic will be of importance to Jude Law’s sorcerer king Vortigern, Ritchie does not appear to have overdone it, and is giving his audience enough reality with the film’s tooth and nail sword fights.

Ritchie and his team have also kept the legend of King Arthur alive and are pulling from the original tales recorded more than 800 years ago to tell this story. Charlie Hunnam is without-a-doubt the perfect choice for this very different take on the character, appearing as an anti-heroic street brawler who will have to learn what it means to be noble, and he’s matched with Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as Guinevere, whose otherworldly magical power will aid him in his quest to be king.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is definitely on our 2017 must-watch list, and audiences will get a chance to experience this epic tale of sword and sorcery when it is released in cinemas on March 23, 2017 in New Zealand and Australia and on March 24, 2017 in the US and UK.

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Set in a crumbling mansion in a largely rural and mountainous region of northern England in the 19th century, young author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) discovers that her charming new husband Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) is not who he appears to be.

Here’s five reasons to watch del Toro’s latest offering:

5. Ghoulish Ghosts

While Crimson Peak may be grounded in the genre of gothic romance, it certainly doesn’t skimp on the scares, and there are plenty of ghostly moments that will send a shiver down the spines of audience members. Not long after its opening frame we are introduced to Guillermo’s benevolent spirits who have much to contribute to the evolving drama of Crimson Peak. Del Toro is clever in how he uses them to the film’s advantage, and combined with crisp, eerie sound design, the hauntings of Crimson Peak are disturbingly real.

4. Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain: The Darkest of Siblings

Crimson Peak is a phenomenal movie to behold, thanks in large part to the casting of Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain as the menacing Sharpe siblings. Both performers excel in their respective roles, with Hiddleston owning the screen as the dapper and mysterious Sir Thomas Sharpe, while Chastain brings a venomous menace as his horrific sister Lady Lucille Sharpe. Hiddleston and Chastain are totally in command of their twisted and enigmatic characters, and the subtlety in which they reveal every character trait makes for a compelling watch. When all is finally revealed, a twisted sense of shock will come over audiences, and it’s all thanks to the stellar performances from these incredible thespians.

3. Allerdale Hall: A Living Creature

While ghosts may lurk through its dark, haunted halls, the manor house of Allerdale Hall is without a doubt the creepiest character of all. This grand manor home is a living, breathing creature that howls in the dark, and whose rotting walls and hallways are filled with secrets that refuse to remain buried. The construction and attention to detail within Allerdale Hall is incredible, and del Toro and his skilled artisans have crafted a remarkable set. With shadows at every turn, it’s a place where one would be advised not to get lost.

2. Mia Wasikowska: From Ingénue to Heroine

At the centre of Crimson Peak is the brilliant Mia Wasikowska who gives a compelling performance as the film’s heroine Edith Cushing. Designed as a thoroughly modern heroine in a bygone era, Edith is a determined novelist whose interests in ghosts and the macabre becomes all too real when she falls for Sir Thomas, and accepts his proposal. Wasikowska is so natural and involved as Edith that she loses herself within the part, and her journey from a slightly lovelorn ingénue to a feisty survivor, who is determined to end the horrors at the heart of Allerdale Hall, is an inspired cinematic journey.

1. A Love Letter from Guillermo Del Toro

Above all else, Crimson Peak is a love letter to the genre of gothic romance from its director, the brilliantly creative and passionate Guillermo del Toro. Not only has he created a rich and layered film experience that audiences will lose themselves in, but del Toro has once again demonstrated his passion and flair for detail with every frame. Filling every scene with beautiful crisp colours and haunted architecture that feels aged, del Toro has also taken incredible care with every aspect of the story, which ultimately heightens the struggle of Edith Cushing. Crimson Peak is a touching love letter to the beautiful scares and intense drama of Grand Guignol horror, and del Toro has once again crafted a piece of cinema that will stick with audiences.

Image source: Paramount Films.

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Set in Crumbia, in a crumbling mansion in a largely rural and mountainous region of northern England in the 19th century, young author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) discovers that her charming new husband Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) is not who he appears to be.

The new trailer is alarmingly creepy and forboding with signs of horror around every corner. Get set for a thousand jump scares, and be ready to sleep with the lights on after Crimson Peak is released in cinemas on October 15.

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