THE CRITIC

 

The Critic.. Screenplay by Patrick Marber, Based on the novel Curtain Call by Anthony Quinn. Diected by Anand Tucker. Produced by Bill Kenwright, Jolyon Symonds and Anand Tucker. Starring Iam McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong,Ben Barnes, A;fred Enoch,Romola Garai and Lesley Manville. Cinematography by David Higgs. Edited by Beverley Mills. Music by Craig Armstrong.Produced by BK Studios, Fearless Minds and Seven Stories. Distributed by Lionsgate. Palace Cinemas September 25 2025.

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins.

Ian McKellen as the critic. Gemma Arterton as the actress in The Critic

 

Set in 1934 London, The Critic, in a taut and compelling adaptation by Patrick Marber of Anthony Quinn’s novel Curtain Call  is riveting cinema. This is largely due to director Anand Tucker’s ability with the assistance of cinematographer David Griggs to capture the period so evocatively and transport the viewer to prewar London and a time when London’s theatreland was thriving. It was also a time when the drama critic could break or make a show and Jimmy  Erskine (Ian McKellen) epitomizes the vitriolic and vindictive reviewer for the right wing paper The Chronicle. Erskine exerts his influence through his damning reviews of  actress Nina Land (Gemma Arterton) a darling of the West End stage. Any attempt to change his entrenched opinion falls on deaf ears until an unanticipated turn of events sets in motion a sequence of suspenseful twists and turns.

Alfred Enoch as Tom Turner. Ian McKellen as Jimmy Erskine

When asked by the founding proprietor's son Viscount Brooke (Mark Strong) to tone down his hyperbolic and offensive critiques, Erskine refuses citing freedom of expression and leaving the proprietor no choice but to demand his resignation, which prompts a veangeful response from Erskine. With Machiavellian flair Erskine with the unwitting aid of his secretary and lover Tom Turner (Alfred Enoch) exploits Land’s desire for critical favour and Brooke’s infatuation with the dazzling actress. In a deadly quest for survival, Erskine resorts to blackmail to force his reinstatement. It is all stock crime thriller stuff in the grand old British crime thriller movie tradition. 

What prevents the film from lapsing into a predictable narrative is director Tucker’s firm control of the film’s dramatic moments. Close ups probe the very thoughts of the characters. Brooke’s immersion in the spell of Land’s performance captures the tear that trickles down the cheek. Erskine’s desperation at the threat of exposure by Land reveals his dark purpose. Tucker’s cast is superb. McKellen gives an outstanding performance as the odious critic bent on revenge. Arterton plays the victim with the inevitability of naïve consequence. Strong and Enoch are similarly utterly convincing in roles that become pawns in Erskine’s deadly design.

Gemma Arterton as Nina Land in The Critic

The film is at times Shakespearian . The characters caught in Erskine’s web of deceit and manipulation expose the fatal  flaw that brings about their downfall. Novelist Quinn takes his revenge on any critic whose ego would cloud his judgement and McKellen takes delicious delight in playing the villain. Any self respecting critic could only deplore McKellen’s superb portrayal which remains a salutary warning to any critic who would transgress his role and responsibility. Lovers of crime thrillers and the world of theatre will find The Critic absorbing entertainment. Do  not judge critics too harshly unless of course  they remind you of Jimmy Erskine. 

Mark Strong as Viscount Brooke in The  Critic