“Manners Maketh Man”, no truer statement to judge a man by, which is fortunate as the gentleman in question is Colin Firth, anyone else and the quote could have come off as arrogant or conceited. Yet it is delivered with an ironic ring in that the gentleman in question provoked a fight, won such fight and then had a quiet drink after quoting the essential 3 M’s to a rabble of rough men. Confused yet?
Well, this is the world of Kingsman, a private secret service agent who has the world’s best interests at heart. The latest creation from Matthew Vaughn and comic book writer Mark Miller exploded onto screens worldwide taking many viewers by surprise with Colin Firth’s transformation from Bridget Jones to James Bond. Received well by many and with a 74% rating on Rotten tomato, reviewers describe it as stylish, subversive, and above all fun. Kingsman is truly a great British film that should be celebrated. The question is, why out of so many of the recent British films does it deserve to stand out?
The film follows ‘Eggsy’, a disruptive youth with a good heart who has lost his way in the world, but if you strip away his façade ultimately he is lacking self-confidence and direction, something that I’m sure resonates strongly with all of us. He is approached by Colin Firth’s character who sees the potential that can be unlocked within Eggsy. We follow his training, which is fraught with danger, plunging falls, attempted drowning and runaway tube trains; all in the work of a Kingsman. But fundamentally the importance of being a gentleman is installed within Eggsy, with how he dresses, speaks and holds himself shown to affect how the world interacts with him.
This deeper meaning combined with a fast moving plot, creates a pacey action film that has great acting and even better action sequences. If you have seen some of Matthew Vaughn’s earlier work such as the action packed and controversial ‘Kick Ass’ then you will understand the calibre of action on tap. One particular scene has Colin Firth involved in a church riot; yes that’s right a church riot, I bet after you see Kingsman you will never look at Sunday mass in the same way again. A church riot scene in itself is probably enough to pique your interest, yet it’s the cinematography of a near 5 minute uncut rabble that will take your breath away, showing a punchier side to Firth the likes of which I certainly have never seen. What’s more is that the fight scene is hard hitting without feeling dark and dirty, it has a lighter feel, an almost comical aspect to it.
Another attribute to watch out for is the fashion with the headquarters of this secretive group in a Saville Row tailor. Hence, all Kingsman agents are tailors, a brilliant disguise that allows them to travel the world on ‘behalf’ of wealthy clients, plus look timelessly stylish while doing so. If you want to see some more of the style involved, the producers of the film teamed up with Mr Porter to produce a range called Kingsman at Mr Porter, which is off the peg fashion taken straight from the film. The full range is available here – http://www.mrporter.com/en-gb/mens/designers/kingsman
Overall I loved Kingsman. It has been one of the best films to be released so far in 2015, a year which has so far seen much noteworthy competition, but it’s the slick, stylish and smooth finish that sets Kingsman apart from the rest. Secretly I think it’s the modern James Bond we have all been waiting for, just don’t tell Daniel Craig. Don’t believe me? Why not take a look at the trailer below and decide for yourself, and you might just find that you agree that “manners maketh man”.
The trailer – www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkX8jKeKUEA
By Sam Adam Smith – A Kingsman at heart #3PG
