This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Exit Strategy
Plot Overview
According to American expatriate become marijuana baron Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey,) “There's only one rule in the jungle: when the lion's hungry, he eats!” Mickey enters a London pub, makes his selection on the juke box and orders a pint and a pickled egg. As the “lion” is eating he calls his wife Rosalind (Michelle Dockery) to set up a date night at nine. There's a ruckus on the phone in the background and behind Mickey some gunplay off camera. His egg gets splattered with blood.
It's become known that Pearson is set to retire.
When the lion is done eating, then the scavengers move in on the remains.
“Gentlemen” conveys in a high tone the various contenders of
jackals, hyenas, and carrion birds descending on the bloody feast.
Ideology
There are big lessons to be learned from little critters. As wise Solomon said, (Prov. 30:24) “There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:”
(Prov. 30:25)
“The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat
in the summer.” Going through Oxford Pearson did not have strong
prospects—he was on a scholarship. His poor southern U.S. origins did not afford him good
family connections. Yet noticing his easy ability to sell weed to
his rich classmates, he just expanded and worked it into a lucrative
business he could eventually retire on.
(Prov. 30:26) “The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.” To produce his quality reefer, he needed “location, staff and technology.” That first factor is the weak link for an agricultural enterprise requiring lots of room away from prying eyes. England is a small country as it is, and there just isn't much privacy on any available land. The landed gentry, though, have these big estates that are expensive to maintain. He would merely rent property from them and grow underground.
(Prov. 30:27) “The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands.” To get his needed contacts, he made the rounds of cocktail parties. They weren't under any one person's control per se, but the wealthy folk have learned to use them to congregate.
(Prov. 30:28) “The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.” The spider uses her initiative to settle into a fruitful niche all her own. Pearson's wife Ros runs a “safe space” garage for exotic cars owned by women. That provides added income for the family.
Production Values
“” (2020) was directed by Guy Ritchie who also contributed to the screenplay. It stars Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, and Michelle Dockery. McConaughey gives a good performance as the top dog. Hugh Grant gives an inspired performance as a PI and screenwriter wannabe. All the acting was good.
MPAA rated it R for violence, language throughout, sexual references and drug content. One woman at the showing I attended nearly walked out because of the pervasive drug culture. The movie is lewd, crude and brutal despite its genteel title.
The story uses an artistic device that deserves mention. A blackmailer narrates what he's got on Mickey in the form of a 35 mm film that provides most of the story. This allows for artistic license, embellishment, and possible rewrite without compromising the main plot. Furthermore, there is a second blackmail this time video within the other embedded film. Mercifully it is not shown to the audience, because it is so bad that once seen “it cannot be unseen.” The message, I suppose, is that we'll get over the main feature however disturbing it was at the time.
Review Conclusion w/ Christian Recommendation
I had to decompress after I saw this film, and I go to a lot of movies. It's partly due to the culture difference—they drive on the wrong side of the road over there—, partly due to jungle cruelty lurking beneath gentlemanly manners, and partly due to the film-within-a-film offset. We're not spared disturbing images, either—in its car chase the car does crash. Be advised.
Notwithstanding said reservation it was a well made film, but on the order of, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?”
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Edge of your seat action-packed. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Awesome special effects. Video Occasion: Over a stiff drink. Suspense: Don't watch this movie alone. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
bibles.n7nz.org