The Critic (UK / USA / 15A / 101 mins)
In short: Missed opportunity
Directed by Anand Tucker. Starring Ian McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong, Lesley Manville, Ben Barnes, Romola Garai.
The Plot: 1930s London. Jimmy (Ian McKellen) is the drama critic at The Chronicle, a once great newspaper whose sales have fallen. Times are changing though. Following the death of the boss, his son David (Mark Strong) has taken over and is keen to restore the glory days. There will be cuts across the board and the crosshairs are aiming at Jimmy due to his frequently biting reviews, particularly aimed at actor Nina (Gemma Arterton). The solution might be for the two of them to get more acquainted and therein help each other…
The Verdict: In the opening narration for The Critic, the meaning of the word ‘critic’ is explained by the main character Jimmy. In the end, he sums it up in one word: judge. And so shall this film be judged for its own merits and demerits based on its script, performances, production value and direction. These are the key elements to judge in any film and The Critic is not immune to them, tempting as it might be to play around with the theme of a drama critic whose own acidic words sting at every opportunity. This is where we find newspaper veteran Jimmy, his poison pen doling out the kind of barbed-wire-wrapped words that draw the attention of his new boss who wants ‘more beauty, less beast’. Not that he cares too much. Defiant at first, he realises that an unholy alliance (to him) with actor-who-is-trying Nina might be a way to stave off the pink slip for now.
It all sounds very frothy – a sparkling Theatreland period drama with a dollop of murderous intent, a dash of gossipy intrigue and an amusing critique of the role of the critic in determining whether an actor should have a future or not. It could fill in the gaps that See How They Run conveniently skipped past. On the face of it, that’s how The Critic presents itself and for the first half, the audience gets the film that was promised in the trailer. Ian McKellen, who could retire if he wanted to but is still as sharp as a nail, has a ball as Jimmy in a deliciously delivered performance. Mustering up decades of his own stage and screen experience, he throws out golden zingers like they were going out of fashion. He’s delightful to watch and so also is Gemma Arterton, who is given the more difficult task of portraying a mediocre actor who desperately wants validation. There’s a touching sense of a growing friendship between these two disparate characters, as the ice gently thaws between them. The period detail is competently handled by director Anand Tucker too.
That’s where the good stuff ends though and that’s most unfortunate as the film was enjoyable up to a certain point. The blame would appear to lie in Patrick Marber’s script, based on the novel Curtain Call by Anthony Quinn (not the actor). Marber is a sharp writer of characters, but he often portrays them as single-minded and lacking faith in humanity e.g. Closer and Notes On A Scandal. That approach filters through to this film as the script takes a sharp left turn, pursues other character agendas and gets progressively darker – but not in a good way. If anything, it leaves a sour aftertaste. A bit of darkness is to be welcomed to balance out the frothier elements in the screenplay, but Marber misjudges the overall tone of the piece. He’s unable to get all the characters and elements to gel together successfully and have a consistent tone, so that the film drifts along to a limp conclusion.
It’s no surprise to learn that the film didn’t go down well at its Toronto International Film Festival premiere a year ago, prompting major reshoots in recent months. Whatever was subsequently done in the editing room, it hasn’t fixed the core problem with this film. It just doesn’t add up. At one key point Jimmy says to Nina: ‘There is art in you, Miss Land. My disappointment is in your failure to access it.’ – he might as well have been talking about the film. The two stars here are for the two stars of the film. File under M for missed opportunity.
Rating: 2 / 5
Review by Gareth O’Connor
