This review may contain spoilers!
The Critic is a drama that follows ageing theatre drama critic, Jimmy Erskine, as his comfortable career is brought under threat when the newspaper he works at gains a new editor-in-chief. Jimmy must go to extreme measures and manipulate many others in order to secure his place, but just how far will this depraved man go to keep his place?
I have a real fascination with a corrupt character who entangles and snares those around him, Jimmy Erskine is a real vile creation, but he influences our cast in such a compelling way. From the start of this film Erskine is a massive presence, he holds incredible knowledge of the theatrical arts, and he understands people around him in a way that allows him to lightly tug on their threads. Working against Jimmy is the fact he is openly a bully, he can be crass and even downright plastered in inappropriate settings. He is also a barely closeted older queer man in late 1930s London, a frequent target of those who would wish harm to those perceived as outside 'the normal'. He is not the rising star of his newspaper any more, he is an old fixture that could be gotten rid of. Only Jimmy won't go for anything, he revels in luxury and high society. He cannot give up a wonderful life but won't change himself in order to do it. To watch Jimmy start weaving an intricate blackmail surrounding an affair between his boss and upcoming actress, Nina Land, is like watching the scales truly tip. Erskine manipulates Land, promising her greatness and turning her ambition into something dark. What happens as a result is an obliteration of lives, death and misery with a triumphant Jimmy staying afloat by the skin of his teeth. It but takes one betrayal for the despicable puppeteer to fall, to fester in his loneliness and conniving mind. The end should be a high point, a happy ending. But it all feels a bit futile, Jimmy has destroyed his life and many others in the blind chase of status. There are no winners in this game, only loss.
It's quite an intimate production, but a feature that is very considered with how it looks. The cinematography holds interesting tracking wides as characters march through corridors or wind through London streets. But what I loved was how closely the camera steadily held a microscope to the face, refusing to hide a single slight crinkling of the eyes or downturn of the mouth. This film examined the characters and only held their true selves accountable to the viewer. The editing felt very steady, even moving to a more frantic pace as the narrative unravels, and we race to the climax of the story. I commend Craig Armstrong's score, it feels very refined but also has those wild, dangerous streaks that tie so neatly to the film's protagonist/antagonist.
Mark Strong, who played David Brooke, absolutely dominates his scenes with this quiet yet powerful presence; I loved the measure of character and good honour Strong brings to this role in sharp contrast to McKellen. Gemma Arterton, who played Nina Land, is a triumph to watch in this and gives McKellen a real run for his money; watching Arterton battle for her ambition while grappling with her morals makes this a gripping role to watch. Lesley Manville, who played Annabel Land, is a more measured performance but a really strong one; I love the way in which she quietly advocates and fights for her onscreen daughter in spite of the tragic forces against her.
However, the best performance came from Ian McKellen, who played Jimmy Erskine. The filmography and indeed, wider acting career of Ian McKellen is a stunning one. There is no denying the man is a talent, and it is gratifying to see that this talent has not lost stride in his recent years. Erskine is a foul character, a rotten bully with a tendency towards vile behaviour for selfish means. It is one of the nastiest roles I have seen McKellen play and that is kind of the wonder of it all. McKellen plays this force of corruption and twisted ambition at the centre of it all, a pillar of darkness really that the whole thing spins around. Yet while he plays the darker nature of his role so well, there is a sincerity and a defiance to the way he is noted as a societal other in this. I quite enjoyed the sneaky, unabashed and yet very vulnerable queer storyline brought to the surface. McKellen's final monologue, his letter to Tom, was a beautifully tragic and terrible thing. It made me realise I will miss this magnificent man one day, even if I will not miss Mr Erskine.
The flaw with this film is the amount in it, there are a lot of little stray stories and sub-plots that comprise the whole thing, and they don't necessarily come together well. I thought the fact there was so much romantic entanglement got a bit over the top, the character of Stephen was particularly a role I felt didn't need as much focus as he got. I feel like the film had to pad itself out in such a way because the whole movie revolved around a role that didn't go through character development, so change had to be visualised elsewhere. But this made the movie feel distracted at times and uncertain of where to plant its foot in the next scene.
Alfred Enoch, who played Tom Turner, is quite comfortable in the background for this film; Enoch feels like he should be more present but even when the camera finally turns to him more he doesn't have the charisma to take the screen. Ben Barnes, who played Stephen Wyley, is this sort of mopey romantic role that doesn't fit in very well; Barnes' whole pining lover act is a very safe and generic performance for him. Romola Garai, who played Cora Wyley, could've really worked the screen a bit with more time I feel; as it stood Garai went from this background wife figure to an over the top business mogul in a blink. Ron Cook, who played Hugh Morris, isn't an especially funny performer for one who is playing a bit of a cad; Cook also struggles to keep up with or match McKellen in their scenes together. Nikesh Patel, who played Ferdy Harwood, is a very over the top performance that is really just there to be paired against Arterton; Patel is never very convincing as a leader/director type.
A captivating drama that is made all the more gripping for McKellen's turn as a vile and abhorrent fiend who I could not look away from. I would give The Critic an 8/10.
