By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

The Critic (United Kingdom, 2023. Dir: Anand Tucker): Because of his personal appearances and undoubtedly The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the general public thinks of Ian McKellen as an avuncular, charming figure. Even his Magneto in the X-Men saga was great company.

But if you dig a bit deeper, you’ll find that McKellen’s filmography is peppered with dangerous characters with a hard edge: a Nazi in hiding in Apt Pupil, a career conman in The Good Liar, a manipulative psychiatrist in Asylum. The Critic mines McKellen’s ability to be unsavory, yet real and recognizable.

The year is 1934. Fascism gains steam in London, and the anti-gay laws are enforced mercilessly. Even as dark forces crept in, Jimmy Erskine (McKellen) reigns supreme.

The most influential theatre critic in town, Erskine thinks of himself as untouchable, even as his paper, The Chronicle, is openly disposing of the “old guard”. His poisonous pen could make or break careers, like Nina Land’s (Gemma Arterton), a starlet beloved by audiences but one that failed to gain the persnickety columnist’s approval time and time again.

The critic’s fallout is two-pronged: the paper’s owner and Erskine’s champion has died and his son Brooke (Mark Strong) doesn’t share his father’s same appreciation for sarcasm and malicious wit. Shortly after the scion takes over the reins of The Chronicle, Erskine is arrested for engaging in lewd acts and gives Brooke the perfect excuse to fire him. In desperation, he offers Land good reviews at perpetuity as long as she seduces the straightlaced Brooke.

For as long as the film is focused on Ian McKellen’s character, it’s smooth sailing. As salty and roguish as Erskine is, he was shaped by a society that imposed their morals on him. He finds a space where he matters, and you can bet he’ll defend it with every weapon on reach.

Unfortunately, there’s a plotline that sticks out like a sore thumb: Land’s love affair with Brooke’s son-in-law, Stephen (Ben Barnes). Since the movie is an adaptation of the book “Curtain Call” by Anthony Quinn (not Zorba, another one), it’s clear this detour would have worked better in a novel than in 95-minute movie.

Outside McKellen and Mark Strong’s performances, the writing is also worth your attention. Playwright and occasional scriptwriter Patrick Marber (Closer) peppers the movie with bon mots and reflections about the critic’s job (“There is art in you, Miss Land. My disappointment is in your failure to access it” is a beauty of a putdown.) As thinking movies go, this one is serviceable, if not memorable. 3/5 stars.

The Critic is now playing across Canada.