Sir Ian Mckellan stars as Jimmy Erskine, the most feared and famous theatre critic in 1930s London, who has the power to make or break careers. He saves his most witty and vicious reviews for aspiring actress Nina Land, played by Gemma Arterton. But, as a gay man with the laws prohibiting his sexuality, Jimmy lives life on the edge. When his paper’s new owner, David Brooke (Mark Strong) is less indulgent of his star critic, Jimmy turns to Nina for help.
I saw The Critic immediately after Lee and there is a very tangential connection in that photographer Cecil Beaton is a character in Lee and he is briefly mentioned in The Critic. However, I found this film to be the opposite of Lee. To start with, it is a joyous and mostly lightweight depiction of pre-war London. Jimmy is a lovable rogue with a waspish tongue, and some of his withering put downs are very funny. Despite the presence of black shirts on the streets, I felt like I wanted to be transported to the period.
As the story progresses though, it gets much darker and Jimmy more despicable. It was never bad, but I felt a bit deflated. I would have loved to have instead seen an out and out comedy about Jimmy getting into scrapes because of his caustic reviews or a much more serious one about a gay man at a time of rising fascism.
McKellen gives a bravura performance, in a role that was made for him, and the film is full of strong performances. Strong is perfect as a decent man driven to a desperate act and the great Lesley Manville has a small but telling role as Nina’s mum. The underrated Romola Garai is magnificent as David’s coolly brittle daughter and Beau Gadsdon show real promise as her child.
Rating: 7 out of 10