The Critic

The role of an acerbic theatre critic in 1930s London is one relished by Sir Ian McKellen.

Critical mass: Ian McKellen with Gemma Arterton

Image courtesy of Lionsgate.

Few films feature a critic as a central character but when they do, they can be memorable. Addison DeWitt as played by George Sanders in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1950 tale of theatre life, All About Eve, is still well remembered more than seventy years later and, going back even further, there is the figure of Clifton Webb’s Waldo Lydecker in Otto Preminger’s Laura (1944). Lydecker may have been more of a gossip columnist but his manner is thought to have been based on one of the most famous of American drama critics, Alexander Woollcott, who was celebrated for his outspoken and vitriolic comments. Now in Anand Tucker’s film The Critic we have in Jimmy Erskine a man whose power as a theatre reviewer and whose pleasure in caustic put-downs provide an echo of both Addison and Waldo. The role is taken by Sir Ian McKellen who plays it with relish and, since Jimmy is absolutely the central focus here, the actor ensures that there is some pleasure to be had in watching The Critic. Nevertheless, he can't compete with those predecessors because this new film is nowhere near as good as All About Eve or Laura.

Whatever the quality of Anthony Quinn's novel Curtain Call on which this film is based (the author’s work is unknown to me), one would have expected a sound screenplay here since it was written by Patrick Marber well established both as a playwright and as a screenwriter (the latter most notably represented by his adaptation of his own play Closer (2004) and by his treatment of Zoë Heller’s novel Notes on a Scandal two years later). Consequently, it is something of a shock to find that this new screenplay comes across not just as weak in narrative and characterisation but as almost slapdash in its disregard for the kind of details that might enable us to believe in the story that unfolds.

As regards Jimmy Erskine himself, the film feels secure in its portrait of a successful drama critic who has been writing for the same newspaper, The Daily Chronicle, for over forty years and whose waspish tone is for his readers part of his appeal. But then the paper’s proprietor dies and his son David (Mark Strong), now Viscount Brooke, takes over. He has his own very different approach and is ready to fire old hacks whom he finds unsuitable. Quite apart from the tone of Jimmy’s reviews not being to David's taste, the critic’s private life is also an issue because this is the 1930s and Jimmy is gay and living with a younger boyfriend, Tom Turner (Alfred Enoch), the latter always being presented as his secretary and his lodger. Both aspects play a part when David seeks to terminate Jimmy's employment and, faced with that situation, Jimmy immediately starts to find a way to force David to change his mind. His plan involves persuading a leading actress, Nina Land (Gemma Arterton), to seduce the proprietor who, as a married man, can then be blackmailed into retaining Jimmy’s services.  It so happens that Jimmy Erskine has long had a vendetta against Nina regularly giving her bad reviews, but he now promises to give her glowing notices in future and his influence is such that Nina is ready to accept his proposition.

From this point on The Critic becomes the story of how Jimmy Erskine's scheme goes awry and does so in such a spectacular way that it leads to two deaths. It's a tale that brings in several other key characters including a painter name Stephen Wyley (Ben Barnes) who is in love with Nina despite being married to Cora (Romola Garai) who happens to be the daughter of David Brooke. That the latter can readily be seduced by Nina is down to the fact that, as Jimmy so very conveniently realises, his boss has from a distance become besotted by Nina despite his marriage.  The interrelationships of these people can't help but feel contrived although if the story flowed persuasively enough one could probably overlook that. However, that is a need that is not met here and that’s the reason why I described the screenplay as slapdash. As it is, we are asked to believe that Nina Land is an actress who can take leading roles in West End productions of The White Devil and Twelfth Night to acclaim and be talked of as a star. Yet at the same time the brief scenes that show her on stage suggest that, far from Erskine's criticisms reflecting a prejudice of his, they are all too justified. If that seems inconsistent, so does Nina's initial rejection of Jimmy's proposal followed immediately by her compliance – and all the more so since, should she fail in the task Jimmy demands of her, it seems highly unlikely that he would be able to write the favourable reviews that he is promising her in return.

In the circumstances the whole set-up is decidedly unpersuasive so, through no fault of the actors, we can't feel much tension and don’t really believe in the characters or their situation. Later plot developments only add to that feeling. Just possibly a longer running time than 95 minutes might have given the opportunity for extra scenes that might have rendered the behaviour and portrayal of the characters rather more credible. But I doubt it. The character of this piece is exemplified by the fact that Jimmy Erskine, having declared that everybody has a secret, promptly identifies on cue David Brooke’s undeclared hidden passion for Nina Land on which the story depends. There are minor compensations in the way that Mark Strong does his best to make Brooke a credible character and in the cameo appearance by Lesley Manville who is on predictably fine form as Nina's mother. But the only thing that is strong enough and substantial enough to make The Critic entertaining is McKellen’s central turn in it. That is certainly something, but he can't conceal the fact that The Critic delivers much less than one might expect given the range of the talent involved. It was produced by the late Bill Kenwright and is dedicated to him.

MANSEL STIMPSON

Cast: Ian McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong, Ben Barnes, Alfred Enoch, Lesley Manville, Romola Garai, Claire Skinner, Ron Cook, Matthew Cottle, Nicholas Bishop, Beau Gadsdon, Rebecca Gethings.

Dir Anand Tucker, Pro Bill Kenwright, Screenplay Patrick Marber, based on the novel Curtain Call by Antony Quinn, Ph David Higgs, Pro Des Lucienne Suren, Ed Beverley Mills, Music Craig Armstrong, Costumes Claire Finlay-Thompson.

BK Studio/Culmination Productions/Fearless Minds/Seven Stories Productions-Lionsgate.
95 mins. UK/USA. 2023. UK and US Rel: 13 September 2024. Cert. 15.