Ian McKellen is one of those actors who I could watch do almost anything. With The Critic he has a meaty, gloriously rich role that shows off just what a master he is. The film is a tragedy in the classic sense, the story of the downfall of a man by his own actions. It doesn't always quite take advantage of its soapy machinations but what it does do well is showcase McKellen and his supporting cast. I couldn't take my eyes of him.
McKellen plays a bitter character worn down by the homophobic world that dashes all his dreams, allowing him a certain sort of way of moving through the world successfully while always knowing that he's precariously surviving. He is never left to forget how much they disdain his "proclivities" while also enjoying his showmanship. As long as we walks that line, he can live a sort of life, as long as he doesn't slip. He has gotten to the point in his life when he flirts with disaster but when it does start to hit him he begins to cling desperately and decides he's prepared to do what it takes no matter who it hurts. He is reprehensible yet we cannot help but sympathize.
The Critic is strongest when it is centred on its central character and his schemes. It loses some when it gets too far away from him. I appreciated how much it balances his complications, making us see him in a variety of lights, a spectrum of relatability. Like Enoch's character's admiration for his mentor, we see him, we love him, but we also condemn his choices, and resent him, in that way we resent someone who has betrayed us. It is a towering performance raises the film's rather pedestrian tendencies to make for a very satisfying watch.
The Critic
Starring: Ian McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong, Ben Barnes, Lesley Manville, Romola Garai, Alfred Enoch
Director: Anand Tucker
Writer: Patrick Marber
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