I originally saw The Gentlemen at a Washington, DC, film festival, then caught it a second time on cable TV. In both instances, I viewed it along with other short films. Within that context, The Gentlemen stood out as an amusing, high-quality effort at capturing a slice of the capital's social life that seldom goes public. Carol Monda's overly effusive flirtatious Evelyn is particularly well played as is Jonathan Tilden's uptight Englishman, and Nick Galifainakis's happy-go-lucky Greek.
The plot is appropriately limited and tightly structured. Our insight into these character is brief and the film makers make every moment count-from Jonathan's tears after his break up (surprising in retrospect), to Evelyn's pre-party preen. However, the viewer is left wondering what question the film poses. Is it the timeless query, `What do women want?' Or, is it a more modern moan about gender differences? By film's end, Evelyn emerges as a somewhat pathetic character who plays--willingly or unwilling--into the hands of male characters who may not be gentlemen.
The plot is appropriately limited and tightly structured. Our insight into these character is brief and the film makers make every moment count-from Jonathan's tears after his break up (surprising in retrospect), to Evelyn's pre-party preen. However, the viewer is left wondering what question the film poses. Is it the timeless query, `What do women want?' Or, is it a more modern moan about gender differences? By film's end, Evelyn emerges as a somewhat pathetic character who plays--willingly or unwilling--into the hands of male characters who may not be gentlemen.
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