I’ve been ragging on Guy Ritchie as a filmmaker for a few
years now, and I feel the need to clear some things up. For as much as I’ve
taken issue with his more recent efforts, I don’t want to come across like my
objections are coming from some knee-jerk “how dare he try and do something
different” shit. Rather, I keep pointing this out because I’ve seen enough of
Ritchie’s work to know where his strengths lie. He’s a Brit-crime storyteller,
and a damn effective one when he plays to what he does best. But as soon as he
reaches for something bigger, his limitations present themselves.
Whether it’s coating his usual style in philosophical
wankery like with Revolver, adapting classic stories that clash with his
sensibilities like with King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, or just plain doing
what he should know by now isn’t his strong suit like with Aladdin. I bring all
this up because I want to see Ritchie deliver satisfying cinema again, and it’s
why I’m very happy with his latest.
