The Critic

 

The one thing about Ian McKellen is that he has balls

Cast as a vicious, nasty Queen, a critic for a failing 1930s newspaper, the camera lingers over his calculating scheming face in almost nauseating close up. We see him naked in the bath and at other times indulging in rough trade sex at the local park.

He’s not a nice character but McKellen seems to revel in the role.

Playing Jimmy Erskine, McKellen is a powerful man, used to the luxuries of his position. But when the Vicount Brooke, son of the previous owner takes over the business (an underplaying Mark Strong) Erskine is taken to task and told to be nicer to the actors he demolishes in print. 

Brooke is obsessed with actress Nina Land ( Gemma Arterton) as is his son in law (Ben Barnes) who is unhappily married to cold fish Cora (Romola Garai) and all of these characters come together rather disastrously when Erskine blackmails Land to help him keep his job.

You can tell that the main jist of the plot comes from a complicated and successful book as you are left wanting more from the characters. 

The man of character ( Strong) his cold antisemitic  daughter ( a cracking turn by Garai) and the wonderful Lesley Manville ( as Land’s mentally more robust mother) all sadly have little to do as we concentrate on McKellen and his odious manipulations. 

The hidden gay lifestyles, a sudden appearance of the facist black shirts ( who Erskine valiantly challenges in the street. Are touched upon but would have been more interesting explored as would the other characters but McKellen plays such a monster so well, your eyes never leave his beady eyes and smiling face.