I love movies set in the world of theater, though the premise of The Critic is intriguing as the center of the story is a theater critic. Directed by Anand Tucker from a script by Patrick Marber, it’s an adaptation of Curtain Call, a novel by former film critic Anthony Quinn. I read that Quinn based Jimmy on James Agate, a long-time theater critic for the London Sunday Times.

Set in London in 1934, we meet Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen), who fancies himself a clever intellectual with lofty expectations for the city’s theater scene. In reality, the Daily Chronicle theater critic is really just a self-serving jerk who enjoys tearing down talented artists for kicks. The subject of Jimmy’s unforgiving critique happens to be Brooke’s favorite actress, Nina Land (Gemma Arterton) whom he’d compare to livestock or worse in his assessment of her stage performances.

‘The pen can be mightier than the sword’ as they say, and Erskine knows his words have power. Remember the snooty food critic in Pixar’s Ratatouille? I can just picture McKellen in that role, but imagine a more acidic and sinister version of that and you’ll get Jimmy Erskine. The 85-year-old is still as sharp and charismatic as ever, with a devilish grin and devil-may-care attitude to boot. He got away with so much when the original owner of the paper was alive, but times they are a changin’ when a new owner David Brooke (Mark Strong) takes over.

At first, I figured they’d just write off David as a bigot trying to kick Jimmy to the curb for being gay, but honestly, Jimmy is doing a pretty good job of messing up his own career. He doesn’t bother to keep his sexuality a secret, at a time when homosexual acts between men were illegal in the UK. He’d hang out in the park at night, ignoring the advice of his his loyal live-in secretary/lover Tom (Alfred Enoch) to be more discreet in public. Sure enough, his shenanigans resulted in a run-in with the cops.

It’s no shocker that Jimmy might soon find himself in danger of losing a job he loves. For fear he could no longer afford the lavish lifestyle his salary provides, he ends up partnering up with the most unlikely person in order to keep his career. I have to say the first meet-up between Jimmy and Nina is packed with emotional tension, she confronted Jimmy for his nasty reviews where he compared her to livestock and even an extinct bird. ‘It’s going to stop!’ Nina demanded, to which Jimmy nonchalantly replied, ‘Oh, you’re retiring?’ Ha!

Jimmy uses the fact that Nina is David’s favorite actress to his advantage, planning a scheme so devious that even Tom tries to dissuade him from it, to no avail. The film is filled with plenty of tragic characters… Nina is perhaps the saddest of all, given how much she looks up to Jimmy and wants so much to gain his approval. Then there’s her mother Annabel (a grossly underused Lesley Manville) who’s so desperate to see her daughter succeed, and Stephen, an artist who wants Nina so Stephen (Ben Barnes) but is trapped in a loveless marriage to David’s daughter Cora (Romola Garai, also underutilized here). They all become collateral damage as Jimmy’s scheme escalates and spins out of control.

It doesn’t take long to realize that the movie isn’t really about tackling the challenges of queerness or racism in the Great Depression. Neither is it a commentary about journalism integrity or taking down the establishment (by removing David from power). It’s really all about Jimmy ruthlessly satisfying his own ambitions regardless of the consequences. The script makes it difficult to sympathize with Jimmy, especially in the way he treats Nina, which I find problematic considering Arterton is the only prominent female character here. While we’re on the subject, the movie doesn’t give the lone Black character Tom any favors either.

Performance-wise, McKellen is always a delight to watch even when he’s playing a sinister character. This movie reminds me a bit of The Good Liar where his screen presence somewhat makes up for the issues with the story. Arterton is quite memorable in this role, able to balance her over-the-top stage acting (which Jimmy totally mocks) with a more nuanced take on Nina. Strong is a reliable character actor who’s often cast as villains, but he’s memorable as a decent chap as well.

Overall, The Critic is mildly enjoyable but it leaves me wanting. Alas, as more people find themselves tangled in Jimmy’s extortion and treachery, the movie loses the plot and becomes less intriguing. This middling and overwrought movie does not meet Jimmy’s standards. I’d imagine his review would say, ‘There is brilliance in this tale of passion, extortion, and treason, it’s a pity the filmmakers fail to tap into it.’

Have you seen THE CRITIC? I’d love to hear what you think!

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