When Anand Tucker’s period drama, The Critic, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, it had been well over a decade since the director’s last feature film hit theaters. He returned with a doozy of a cast and a very different and intriguing exploration about the world of criticism, which is finally hitting theaters a year after its premiere.
The Critic stars Sir Ian McKellen as Jimmy Erskine, the theater critic for The Daily Chronicle and one of the most powerful writers in 1930s London. He has just trashed the latest performance by the stage favorite Nina Land, played by Gemma Arterton, and he’s fighting to keep from being fired by his unhappy publisher, played by Mark Strong, while also dealing with the homophobia running rampant in the city. When Nina confronts Jimmy about his latest slam of her work, things start happening and bodies start piling up.
Cinema Daily US spoke with Mr. Tucker over Zoom earlier this week, getting into how he got involved with the project, what McKellen brought to the mix as an actor, recreating ‘30s London, and much, much more.
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Director: Anand Tucker
Screenwriter: Patrick Marber
Cast: Ian McKellan, Gemma Arterton, Lesley Manville, Mark Strong, Ben Barnes, Romola Garai, Alfred Enoch
Producer: Bill Kenwright, Jolyon Symonds, Lionel Frid, Dianne Beatty
Production Co: Culmination Productions, UTA Independent Film Group
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Rating: R (Violence|Some Sexuality|Language)
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sept. 13, 2024
Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes
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You can watch the trailer below: