Based on Anthony Quinn’s novel “Curtain Call,” director Anand Tucker’s “The Critic” fully embraces the darker aspects of the story. This tale of deception and murder in pre-World War II London makes for an engaging story, but the film is draggy and feels too slow despite excellent work from the talented cast.
Deceit, manipulation, blackmail: it’s all in a day’s work for Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen), the most feared drama critic in all of London. Jimmy is well known for his flamboyant yet ferociously sharp-tongued writing, relishing the fact that he holds the power to make or break careers. That’s why ingénue Nina Land (Gemma Arterton) is so determined to win his approval. When rumors of Jimmy’s homosexual proclivities and Nina’s hush-hush romantic liaisons with a married man begin swirling in certain theater circles, the duo is forced to take desperate measures to save their careers. Soon after, they both become entangled in a dangerous series of events that are fueled by ambition and moral ambiguity.
It’s a surprisingly dark story, but there’s not a lot of depth to it. Patrick Marber chooses the more sordid path in his adapted screenplay, but a more interesting direction to take would be looking at how critics hold so much power over others with their words. Many forget that in the end, it’s just an opinion.
The film is at its best when Arterton and McKellen have scenes together. Independently they give excellent performances, but they make a great pair who play off each other quite well. McKellen was made to play the role of Jimmy, a man of strong opinions and words that sting. His ruthless, dismissive reviews are the perfect match for his vicious, conniving streak.
“The Critic” is a story of manipulation, deceit, power, and betrayal, but the film feels like it’s being slowed down by a darker, more lurid focus to its storytelling rather than one with any sort of sophisticated narrative or character development.
