The Gentlemen

       Director Guy Ritchie returns to his British Gangster genre roots with this new action comedy. It's a very twisty plot concerning rival gangs controlling the marijuana trade in the U.K. Don't expect subtlety from Guy Ritchie but  count on action, humor and plenty of dialog heavy plot twists. 

       The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Henry Golding, Charlie Hunnam, Jeremy Strong, Michele Dockery, Hugh Grant, Eddie Marsan and Colin Farrell. It's a fine cast having a good time themselves, which in turn, makes it fun for the audience. Mr. Farrell and Mr. Grant steal the film out from the rest of the cast. Mr. Grant, as a sleazy, blackmailing tabloid reporter is brilliant.  Mr. Farrell , in a smaller role as a boxing coach caught up in the tangled plot, is just terrific. Ms. Dockery, the only significant women in the film, is a cockney "Lady Macbeth" who  is married to Mr. McConaughey. She wears her high heels and lipstick very well and is a far cry from Dowton Abby.

        It's a fun film but Mr. Ritchie's somewhat offensive dialog may not sit well with some.  The film makes a perfect third to a trilogy besides "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch".

1917

   Co-written (with Krysty Wilson-Cairns) and directed by Sam Mendes, this new World War I war drama is brilliant. While I saw it New Year's day, I'm taking liberties and declaring it one of the best pictures of 2019.

    With subtle but meticulous editing, the film appears to be shot in one long take, following two British soldiers as they embark on a dangerous mission to warn another battalion of a German sneak attack.  Using this technique, the film puts the viewer right in the frame and keeps you glued to the screen for the entire movie. The tension and emotion throughout the film is unbearable. It is just remarkable.

   The two soldiers are played by Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay. Their mission is a perilous journey through No Mans Land and both actors, Mr. MacKay in particular, are just terrific. Expressive and extremely like-able, you can't help but root for them as they cross enemy lines. There are cameos from Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden, Mark Strong and Colin Firth but the film belongs to Chapman and MacKay.

  The music blends beautifully with the incredible cinematography as the camera seamlessly tracks both men across a variety of landscapes. This is a masterful achievement that both entertains and pays tribute to the brave men that lived and died through that "Great War'. Don't miss it and see it in a theater to really appreciate it.