Anand Tucker’s period drama is a throwback to a time that will feel nostalgic for those of us who do this wacky and much-maligned job. For that, The Critic is a breath of fresh air and a somber reminder of a time before streaming, smart phones, and even television, when theater was king and the critic held the crown.
Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen) is a tough-as-nails theater critic for the Daily Chronicle in 1930s London. It is one of the most established and reputable papers in the country and he is known for his scathing, relentless reviews that could make or break a person’s career. His life as a theater critic has also given him a lavish, comfortable lifestyle. Due to his wealth, Jimmy is able to live as an openly gay man without much persecution provided that his exploits remain out of the public eye, which he keeps mostly between himself and his Black assistant, Tom (Alfred Enoch).
The central story revolves around Nina Land (Gemma Arterton), a theater performer that Jimmy is not too fond of. He has never given her a positive review and she is desperate for his approval to help her career. When the owner of the paper dies, his son David (an A-game performance by Mark Strong) takes over and suddenly Jimmy’s unrestricted, sharp-toothed reviews and comfortable way of life are under threat. Realizing his time at the paper may be coming to an end, and in a desperate attempt to maintain his lifestyle, Jimmy strikes a deal with Nina Land to seduce David and secure both of their futures.
From here, the movie shifts into a full-blown thriller with twists and turns at every corner. Love and loyalties are tested, trust is broken, and betrayal and murder reign. We meet Erskine at the height of his power, which has turned him into a bitterly self-absorbed person. He is well aware of the influence he holds but is less concerned with the responsibility of it. His arrogance and greed are what lead him down a dark path of deception and violence, where we get to witness the slow destruction of the egomaniac.
The screenplay written by Patrick Marber purposely makes us look at Jimmy as a massively flawed character but also treats him with some sympathy as he is still a minority under threat every day in this time period. (1930s London had a little bit of a Nazi problem, if you didn’t know.) Through his vantage point, we get to see the landscape of the times, the familiar plight of the worker, the downfall of falsely believing your own hype, the lengths one will go to maintain their status, and the corruption that can infect anyone no matter who they are.
At times, the film is trying to do a few too many things at once. While we are setting up Jimmy and Nina’s plan, there is the story of Jimmy and Tom’s relationship that is falling apart due to Jimmy’s drinking and escalating reckless behavior. There is also the complicated romance between Nina and Stephen Wyley (Ben Barnes) that is conflicted with her budding romance with David. Unfortunately, few of these elements are given room to breathe long enough before the narrative shifts into overdrive. The rapid change of tone in the film may leave audiences feeling the story is too messy and convoluted, therefore struggling to keep its main story afloat with so much happening around it.
Still, there are many bright spots around the film. Production designer Lucienne Suren and costume designer Claire Finlay-Thompson do a magnificent job of recreating the feel and look of the 1930s. The sets, styles, and colors instantly transport you to that time and place with these characters. It also helps that Ian McKellen is stellar in this role. His signature sneer and menacing scowl are on full display and add a decisive touch to Jimmy’s internal feelings about the laymen around him who he feels are beneath him and therefore, don’t get to tell him how to do his job. Yet he is also sincere enough in his performance that you genuinely feel for him when it all comes crashing down.
The Critic is a stylish, posh period drama that may not reach the heights of other murder thrillers, but is still a testament to craft and ambition that makes us long for the days when we writers were as mighty as the pens they held.
The Critic is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment.
The Critic is a stylish, posh period drama that may not reach the heights of other murder thrillers, but is still a testament to craft and ambition that makes us long for the days when we writers were as mighty as the pens they held.
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GVN Rating
Phoenix is a father of two, the co-host and editor of the Curtain to Curtain Podcast, co-founder of the International Film Society Critics Association. He’s also a member of the Pandora International Critics, Independent Critics of America, Online Film and Television Association, and Film Independent. With the goal of eventually becoming a filmmaker himself. He’s also obsessed with musical theater.
