From an early age I've always followed film critics (ok, here its theatrical but nonetheless) starting with Barry Norman on TV, then print; Leslie Halliwell, Derek Winnert, Chris Tookey, Peter Bradshaw, Roger Ebert, Pauline Kael, John Simon Mark Kermode to my old pal Nigel Floyd.
They have been the template to my own writing here and although I didn't necessary agreed with what they have said about films I have enjoyed their writing it has entertained me. Something Ian McKellan's character here states when he has to justify his pithy writing. " My readers expect it"
My reading of criticism continues to this day mostly via internet rather than print-something Nigel says was the reason why he gave up.
I've always enjoyed critics getting their just desserts in previous incarnations -Theatre of Blood being tops and the little seen nifty 15minute Twilight Zone short story ' The Fortune Cookie' about a food critic.
At first I thought this was going to be about a crusty old critic changing into a sensitive person after an actress he skews is affected by his comments but it becomes a dark comedy about blackmail, murder and suicide. There is something almost Kind Hearts and Coronets about it that I found very funny. Even Laura enjoyed it.
Ian McKellan is clearly having a blast in the lead and I can only wonder what his reaction was when he read the script for the first time. ? pure glee!
The CGI of Leicester Square and some of London looked rather too obvious but the photography by David Higgs was well lit and captures 1930s London very well.
I couldn't quite believe Erskine was linked to a black male secretary this stank of the usual ' box ticking' of late and this character really wasn't needed at all. I also would have liked to have seen ? A montage of just how vitriolic James Erskine really was as a critic; more of his past put downs on actors and actresses, so when the time comes for Gemma Atherton's character to read the review of her performance she and the audience knows just how acid he really is.
I kept thinking of John Simon's reviews throughout this film.
