The Critic movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Critic

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 35 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about a powerful London theater critic who becomes entangled in a web of deceit and murder.

The film was directed by Anand Tucker. Writing credits go to Patrick Marber and Anthony Quinn. The film was adapted from Anthony Quinn’s novel Curtain Call.

I’ve considered my role as a film critic many, many times. My goal has always been to help people decide for themselves which movies they want to spend their time and money on by explaining film content and quality in my reviews. Movie ratings are different across countries around the world, and can’t be trusted to paint the true picture.

THINGS I LIKED:

Ian McKellen was absolutely stellar and deserves another Oscar nomination and, finally, a win at 84 years old. He created such a delicious, narcissistic character that made me laugh and cringe and hurt inside.
Gemma Arterton was wonderful as well, giving us a nuanced performance while looking beautiful in every scene. She gives us an extremely vulnerable character who desperately craves validation and make sacrifices for her ambitious career in theater.
I was proud of her for breaking off an affair once she found out her lover was married. I’ll never understand women who can carry on with married men. Despicable.
Other standouts in the cast were Alfred Enoch, Mark Strong, Lesley Manville, Ben Barnes, Romola Garai. Ian McKellen previously starred with Mark Strong and Ben Barnes in the cute 2007 movie Stardust. I just recently watched it again a couple of weeks ago!
When the movie first appeared at the TIFF film festival, the dark ending received mixed reviews. I don’t know what it was then, but it was reshot. There were definitely two ways the movie could have ended and I would have liked them both.
Excellent costume design in this period piece.
There is quite a bit of humor in the dialogue in Acts 1 and 2, yet takes a back seat to the dark crimes featured in Act 3.
The set designs are rich, sultry, and beautiful.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The incredibly talented Lesley Manville was only given a small role. Still it was great to see her.
The tone shifts from act 1 to act 3. I hadn’t seen a trailer for this, so I was surprised by the turn.
Some pre-Nazi fascism is introduced, but it doesn’t go any further.
Some viewers have criticized the presence of too many characters, but I didn’t feel pulled into too many directions.
As pretentious as Jimmy Erskine was, I was surprised he didn’t insist everyone call him James.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored.
Profanity, including F-bombs
We see a naked man in a bathtub several times but we only see his bare chest
Cigarettes, alcohol
Talk of a gay man’s “proclivities”. We see gay men arrested in a park. (This was a time when it was illegal to be gay in public in the U.K.)
Talk of an affair
We see the naked backside of a woman in the dark
Suicide and murder take place off screen.
Several people have affairs.

THEMES:

Disrespect
Praise
Approval
Blackmail
Ambition
Validation
Using people
Criticism
Manipulation
Narcissism
Justice
The power of the written word
Racism

FUNNY LINES:

“I wish you would stop meddling.” – Nina Land (Gemma Arterton) “I’m not meddling. I’m mothering.” – Annabel Land (Lesley Manville)

INTERESTING LINES:

“You formed me.” – Nina Land (Gemma Arterton)
“There is art in you, Miss Land. My disappointment is your failure to access it.” – Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen)
“He who lives in fear, dies in shame.” Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen)
“All men have secrets. I’ll find his.” – Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen)
“We are forming the aesthetic taste for generations. The fascists may come and go but theater is eternal. It matters more than politics.” – Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen)