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A tale of two posh tw@ts is how I would describe The Gentlemen Netflix Series - everything else is exposition. Even though it's not one of Guy Ritchie's best works, it has a fresh cast, good cinematography, plenty of laughs, and a semi-interesting premise.
Major Spoilers ahead!
The Plot
The plot isn't rocket science - a rich British family of a Duke deals with his passing by sorting out their inheritance and the legacy with which their father left them. It so happens that the Duke is mixed up with some less-than-legal revenue streams that originate from his sprawling grounds.
The main characters in this series are the responsible son, his trust-fund baby of a brother, and a mysterious lady who shows up to help the eldest. While the cast is strong, the plot is just mediocre but definitely entertaining.
Even though The Gentlemen Netflix Series is entertaining, I expected more from Guy Ritchie, especially in the plot department.
The Cast of The Gentlemen Netflix Series
This is probably the most interesting aspect of the series with Theo James as Eddie Halstead the responsible son, Daniel Ings as Freddy Halstead the trust fund baby, and Kaya Scodelario as the mysterious lady.
Theo does a great job of playing the level-headed son which is fresh for all of ten seconds, post which his performance seems wooden and unimpressive. I kept trying to guess whether Guy Ritchie instructed him to be emotionally stunted or whether he wasn't really interested in the role's nuances. Theo James is best known for his role in the Divergent series of movies.
Daniel Ings really surprised me with his acting range since I last saw him as someone who hooked up with Dr. Jean F. Milburn in the Netflix series Sex Education. He is incredibly and effortlessly funny as the messed-up trust-fund brat who does more cocaine than Freud.
One of the best scenes in the whole series involves him performing for a Cockney gangster dressed as a giant chicken!
Kaya Scodelario looks super cool and plays it super smooth as a mysterious lady who enters Eddie's life as a savior. Her acting skills are unmatched in this series as you might remember her in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. She basically carries the entire series on her elegant shoulders with her refined wit and suave mannerisms.
One of my favorite characters in the series with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role is Jasmine Blackborow as Lady Charlotte. She reminds me of Marion Cotillard, especially in the eyes.
Peter Serafinowicz is nearly incomprehensible as the exceedingly Cockney gangster who is part of a crime family with a religious inclination. I think he's done a great job with his character even though I still don't understand most of his dialogue.
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Michael Vu is hilarious as the stoner employee of Susie Glass who races past the acting caliber of Theo James with great ease. Especially considering how Theo tries to play the strong silent type while passing off wooden expressions as stoicism.
You do get a smattering of other characters with Josh Finan adding to the comic relief as a sidekick, Giancarlo Esposito as Charlie Johnston a disappointingly vanilla character, and Joely Richardson as the matriarch Lady Richardson. Guz Khan does a great job of playing a cockney character with disappointingly short screen time.
Vinnie Jones as Geoff Seacombe is brilliant as expected - the role looked like a cakewalk for him and is a joy to behold. He plays the groundskeeper of the Duke's family who has an understandable affinity for nurturing injured animals back to health.
Should You Watch It? Sure.
The Gentlemen Netflix Series is an entertaining watch with good cinematography, humor, and an average plotline. However, it has a strong cast with great performances that make this a worthy watch.
