Guy Ritchie: Between Exception Director and Madonna-Ex
Few directors stand for such a distinctive style as the British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, who is celebrating his 50th birthday today, September 10th. And yet he is gladly compared to witty dialogues, bloody action and weird characters, and of course not in the least wrong with a certain Quentin Tarantino (55). Especially since both are similar in output - Ritchie has already produced nine films, in Tarantino will be the upcoming "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" ninth. Among other things, it is shown below that there are differences between the two - which sometimes do not always lead to Ritchie's advantage.
From TV advertising to blockbusters
Before Guy Stuart Ritchie, as his full name is, got his foot in the big movie business, he earned his first spurs as a director of commercials. In 1995, a year after Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" caused a sensation, Ritchie also aroused the interest of the studio bosses in his first short film. The result was enough budget to shoot his debut feature film "Bube, Dame, King, grAS" (1998) - a gangster comedy that quickly gained cult status not just in Ritchie's British home.
With the direct follow-up film, he was able to extend his reputation as a new hope on the director's chair even further. Finally, in 2000, in Snatch - Pigs and Diamonds, none other than Hollywood star Brad Pitt (54) slipped into the role of the unbelievable Irish hillbilly "One Punch" Mickey O'Neil with boxer talent. Also Benicio del Toro (51) and Jason Statham (51), who already participated in "Jack, Queen, King, grAS" played with. Only the love of a very special woman made Ritchie's movie reputation waver ...
A starring role for Madonna
Also in 2000, shortly after the birth of their son Rocco (18), Richie and US singer Madonna (60) married. In his third film, "Swept Away" (2002), he ventured into the genre of romantic comedy - which he still anticipates Mr. Tarantino. At the same time, his sweetheart was immediately allowed to play the female lead role - and, like the film itself, earned catastrophic criticism. So there she was, the first sting in Ritchie's reputation as a filmmaker. And his next film "Revolver" (2005) found little or no approval in the press.
Only with his film "RocknRolla" with Gerard Butler (48), Idris Elba (46) and Tom Hardy (40) from the year 2008 - the same year in which the divorce of Madonna took place - he was able to pick up more benevolent feedback. This was followed by two major international hits with the two "Sherlock Holmes" films, in which Robert Downey Jr. (53) as the title hero and Jude Law (45) as his congenial partner dr. Watson went on a criminal hunt.
Ritchie's last two films to date are the successful "Codename U.N.C.L.E." (2015) and the rather meager "King Arthur" of 2017. However, two promising works are already in the pipeline: the real-life adaptation of "Aladdin" (2019) and the third part of the "Sherlock Holmes" series (2020).
Kids, finances and black belts
Even apart from the film set, Ritchie's life provides ample material for stories. Not only the marriage with Madonna, with whom he also adopted a child from Malawi (son David) in addition to Rocco, no, their divorce was also remarkable. Between 64 and 77 million US dollars Madonna is said to have paid to Richie, reported "BBC News". A sum that neither of them ever wanted to confirm. Since 2015, he is married to model Jacqui Ainsley, 36, with whom he fathered three children before marriage (2011, 2012 and 2014).
And then there's Ritchie's literal wit: The filmmaker owns a black belt in martial arts Shotokan Karate, Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. It was only a matter of conditioning him, especially as he was arrested in 2000 for alleged assaulting, as "The Guardian" reported back then. Quentin Tarantino critics certainly do not have to be so scared.
Incidentally, Ritchie and Tarantino still share a lot in common with fun-fact potential: both are dyslexics. The film language but they dominate like no other.
