The Gentlemen: Guy Richie’s Stylish English Gangster Film

#1: Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey)

Matthew McConaughey’s portrayal of the American expat Mickey Pearson, whose marijuana distribution business was established whilst still at Oxford University and which has since grown into a multi-million dollar company, strikes the right balance between criminally dirty determination and aristocratic class.

The main protagonist of the film, we see McConaughey’s character decked out in a tweed-jacket and twill flat-cap as he traverses the English countryside in a navy Range Rover Classic, and witness a combination of checkered-suits, overcoats, colourful cotton ties, and also a velvet tuxedo, throughout the remainder of the film.

As we’ve said previously, McConaughey’s dressage and demeanour manages to strike the perfect balance between his character’s poor, criminal upbringing and the privileged position he eventually finds himself in amongst England’s elite.

McConaughey carries his wardrobe pieces with confident fluency, even down to the smallest details, which are arguably the most important, such as his prominent gold signet ring and heavy golden figaro bracelet. The style and apparel choices of Mickey Pearson successfully embody the rough and classical elements of McConaughey’s body aesthetic, and in doing so create a captive character throughout the movies plot-line, and whose wardrobe pieces provide an opportunity from which we can all draw inspiration.

Style Rating: 4 / 5.

#2: Raymond (Charlie Hunnam)

Charlie has previously worked with Guy Ritchie on King Arthur: Legend of the Sword in which we witnessed his eye-popping body transformation into the muscular, streetraised Boy King version of the mythical British military commander, Arthur, that Guy had envisioned.

In The Gentlemen, however, we see a complete change of tone.

The opening scene gives us a spectacular view of Raymond’s sprawling English abode; his boutique chefs kitchen opening and integrating seamlessly into the dining and living rooms of his apartment, captured beautifully through the cinematographic filming lens.

Charlie’s waxed back hair, clean sense of dress, and iconic gold signet ring and watch ensemble paint an impressive picture during the scene from which the majority of the movie will be narrated by Hugh Grant and Charlie’s respective characters.

Hunnam’s waspy round-framed tortoise shell glasses also nicely complement his character’s classical brown, high-neck knitwear and tie combination worn at the beginning of the film.

After the opening shot of Raymond in his casual knitwear, oxford shirt and tie masterpiece, we see him later sporting choices including a woollen three-piece suit during the scene inside a local pub, where he’s charged with conducting correspondence on behalf of his boss Mickey Pearson; in a dark navy overcoat during his attempts at tracking down a certain aristocrat’s lost daughter, which eventually leads to an on-foot street chase (and during which we are enlightened as to how easily one may conceal a submachine gun under a trench-coat), and of course the famous navy quilted jacket we’ve seen produced by the likes of Ralph Lauren and Barbour.

Overall, Charlie’s character Raymond provides a well-enacted support role for his boss Mickey Pearson, and the combined attention to both characters’ dressage detail by director Guy Richie ensures an aesthetically pleasing viewing experience surrounding the duo throughout the entirety of the film.

Style Rating: 4 / 5.

#3: The Coach (Colin Farrell)

The winner of The Gentlemen as far as we’re concerned.

Colin Farrell’s iconic Irish twang is awesome and the checkered chav tracksuits he and his students wear throughout the film are absolutely flawless.

Farrell portrays the independent and surprisingly resourceful character simply named ‘coach’ who owns and runs a mixed martial arts gymnasium. He looks out for and privately coaches a number of seemingly troubled but nevertheless physically imposing English youth.

Coach manages to involuntarily get mixed up in Mickey’s marijuana business dealings when his students, unknown to him, secretly undertake a night-time raid on one of Mickey’s underground plantations. From that point on we witness Farrell’s character working alongside Raymond and Pearson to demonstrate his apologies for his meddling in their criminal affairs and in order to not incur any future displays of their wrath.

The checkered zip-up sweatsuits that we see Farrell and his boys don are suitably spectacular. Combine this with his compact build, flat cap and buttoned-up polo shirt, and we have a properly English gangster character on our ‘ands.

It is a welcome change from the common ‘serious’ theme of acting roles that Colin Farrell has typically taken on in the past (think Total Recall (2012) & Fantastic Beasts (2016)), and his masterful oratorical abilities are as much on display in this film as is his iconic wardrobe setup and comedic ability.

Coach gets the nod from us.

Style Rating: 4.5 / 5.

#4: Fletcher (Hugh Grant)

“Buonas Dias, Fletcher-Mondo.”

Hugh Grant portrays ‘Fletcher’ in The Gentlemen (2019) – a (seemingly) homosexual private investigator hired by the editor of British tabloid the Daily Print to investigate Mickey Pearson. He is also the predominant narrator for the majority of the film.

We do not have much sartorial wisdom to impart regarding Grant’s style aesthetic in the film, perhaps due to the lack of material we have to work with, but he makes the list in large part due simply to the rose-tinted Ray Bans lenses he wears in the movie; lenses acclaimed for their benefits in reducing eye strain by blocking out blue UV light, enhancing driving visibility, and (depending on the lens strength) increased depths of field and vision.

Think Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, or Jack Nicholson… as Jack Nicholson.

As his role in leading narrator and co-protagonist of the storyline, we obviously hear more than we see regarding Grant’s character. Nevertheless, the wardrobe choices once again sanctioned by Guy Richie in pieces such as the stylish puffer-jacket, red leather coat and fur-lined hood we see throughout the film do justice to his character’s journalist turned private investigator vibe.

Style Rating: 3 / 5.

#5: Rosalind Pearson (Michelle Dockery)

The sharp edge to Dockery’s performance as Rosalind Pearson is wonderful and full-bodied, giving the film a proper edgy feel that is undoubtedly a requisite for any woman aspiring to be stylish and upper-class but secretly steeped in criminal mannerisms.

The Cockney accent Dockery embodies in attempting to enact her character Rosalind as the owner of an elite womens car garage again shows us another level of depth to her acting prowess.

From the sweeping grounds of Highclere castle in Downton Abbey to the underground hustle of gangster England, Michelle has made what appears to be a successful transition in her acting career from English aristocracy to classy criminal wife.

Whilst still hard not to imagine Michelle attempting to navigate the evolving world of post-World War II aristocratic England as Lady Mary Crawley, her performance in The Gentlemen (2015) is both suitable and a fitting testament to her versatility as an actress.

Style Rating: 3.5 / 5.

Picture credit: Miramax