Directed by Anand Tucker and written by Patrick Marber, The Critic is a period thriller film adapted from Anthony Quinn’s 2015 novel Curtain Call. The film features an outstanding cast, including legendary stage and screen actor Ian McKellen as the notorious theatre critic Jimmy Erskine, while Gemma Arterton stars as the beleaguered actress Nina Land. Mark Strong is David Brooke, the son of a newspaper proprietor while Lesley Manville portrays Nina’s mother, Annabel Land.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September last year. Following its initial screenings, the film underwent some reshoots and tweaks after festival audiences found the original cut too dark in tone, leading to a slightly lighter version being released.
The film is set in the cutthroat world of 1930s London theatre, where Jimmy Erskine reigns supreme as the most feared and respected critic. His acerbic reviews are known to make or break careers, and his most frequent target is Nina Land, a rising star whose self-doubt is exacerbated by his cruel assessments.
Arterton portrays Nina as a fragile actress whose confidence is slowly eroded by Erskine’s vicious takedowns. Jimmy, meanwhile, is a flamboyant figure whose private life is marked by danger and secrecy, as homosexuality remains illegal at the time. McKellen, no stranger to commanding roles in films like Gods and Monsters and The Lord of the Rings, delivers a powerful performance as a man struggling to reconcile his public persona with his private life. His character indulges in risky sexual encounters in public parks, yet his bravado masks an underlying vulnerability.
When the ownership of the newspaper changes hands, and David Brooke takes control, Jimmy’s livelihood comes under threat. Brooke demands that Jimmy temper his trademark cattiness, creating a tension that propels the narrative forward. Desperate to secure his position, Jimmy is forced to seek help from Nina, the very actress he has savaged in print, leading to a complex and uneasy relationship.
While The Critic benefits from Anand Tucker’s confident direction, the film is ultimately let down by a screenplay that struggles to find its footing. Tucker, who previously directed Hilary and Jackie and Leap Year, brings a meticulous eye to the film’s period detail and atmosphere. The first half of the film, with its biting wit and clever satire of the theatrical world, is hugely enjoyable. McKellen shines in these moments, relishing the role of a merciless critic who thrives on his own venomous prose.
However, the film falters in its second half, when the plot takes a sharp turn into stranger territory. The shifts in tone feel jarring, as the film veers from an incisive character study and industry satire to a more convoluted and melodramatic thriller. The introduction of convoluted subplots complicates the narrative in ways that detract from its earlier simplicity. McKellen and Arterton do their best with the material, but the screenplay’s laboured attempts to blend multiple genres leave the film feeling disjointed.
The underlying satire of the theatre world is where The Critic truly excels. The commentary on the power of critics, and the often-toxic relationship between creators and reviewers, provides some of the film’s most insightful moments. Unfortunately, as the narrative becomes increasingly tangled, the film loses the clarity and focus that made its first half so compelling.
This is a film filled with potential, thanks to its superb cast and the atmospheric direction of Tucker. Ian McKellen’s performance as Jimmy Erskine is undoubtedly the highlight, showcasing his ability to balance flamboyance with vulnerability. However, the film ultimately feels like two different stories awkwardly fused together, with a screenplay that drags in its second half. There’s a sharp, intelligent film buried within The Critic, but it’s sadly weighed down by a meandering narrative and an uneven tone.
