Any film bearing that title and Ian McKellen in the leading role holds the promise of good entertainment, even the possibility of greatness. Add to that the credentials of the writer, Patrick Marber (Closer, Notes on a Scandal), director Anand Tucker (Hilary and Jackie) and a top-notch supporting cast (Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong, Lesley Manville, Ben Barnes, Romola Garai) and expectations grow stronger. But sorry to say, The Critic is unworthy of anticipation.
Mind you, this is a revised version of the feature that unspooled at the Toronto Film Festival last year. The participants are vague about what was altered but there was definitely a reshoot involving several of the principals. I shudder to think what the first draft looked like.
McKellen plays an aged drama critic for a leading London newspaper who is under pressure because its founding editor has recently died, leaving his son (Strong) in charge. He supports McKellen but is embarrassed by the columnist’s mean-spirited reviews, especially when he singles out a young actress (Arterton) who says his writing inspired her to aim for a career on the stage. But McKellen is nothing if not stubborn, continuing to dip his pen in acid and flaunts his homosexuality at a time when it is positively dangerous to indulge in pick-ups at night.
The Critic could have dealt with any number of relevant topics but instead its approach is scattershot and unsatisfying. That so much talent produced a completely forgettable movie is deeply disappointing.