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McKellen’s Critic

The Critic: Strong performance from McKellen  

Finally released in German cinemas, The Critic stars renowned stage and screen actor Sir Ian McKellen. It is London, 1934, and McKellen is an infamous theatre critic called Jimmy Erskine. For fifty years Erskine has written biting theatrical reviews for respected national newspaper The Daily Chronicle. When the newspaper proprietor dies, his son David Brooke (Mark Strong) takes charge. However, Brooke wants to implement immediate changes to compete with its rival The Daily Mail. He also advises Erskine to tone down his writing style, and public proclivities.

Ian McKellen  in The Critic

Meanwhile, struggling theatre actress Nina Land (Gemma Arterton) also admires Erskine’s work. Therefore, she is upset by his cruel reviews of her performances, and this also infuriates Brooke. When Erskine is arrested for drunken and lewd behavior, the editor issues him a final warning. This will soon culminate in Brooke ending Erskine’s contract with one month’s notice.  

Needing to save his job, Erskine watches Nina’s performance in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Brooke is also in the audience and Erskine notices him emotionally moved.  Therefore he writes Nina the glowing review she has always wished for. However, this praise for Nina will come at a cost. In return, she must do him a favor and seduce the already besotted Chronicle editor.

The Critic is McKellen’s film, he almost singlehandedly saves it from oblivion. Although Arterton and Strong give excellent supporting performances, no other characters are foregrounded or resonate. Patrick Marber’s previous scripts for Closer (2004) and Notes on a Scandal (2006) had tangible sensitivity. However, in The Critic witticisms take precedent over progressive characterization.

Anand Tucker is multi-talented and experienced in all aspects of film production. Here, however, the effect is counter-productive. There is no conspicuous director imprint and so the trajectory becomes jarring. Indeed, The Critic premiered at Toronto IFF in September 2023 to mixed reviews. It was considered that the dark ending was unpopular with the audience. Therefore, the film’s distributor requested re-shoots. The September 2024 general release had a new cut and a new ending. 

By Steven Yates

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Is the Berlinale Reinventing or Repackaging?

The new Berlinale Poster, released the last week of December shows a new modern style. The number seventy-five features prominent at the right corner.  Ditching film festival Bear artwork is supposed to signal change, breaking from the past, the arrival of a new era, a reinvention of a once significant February cinema event.  But, is the new Berlinale just recycling the old with more colorful packaging?  It takes more than shiny artwork to re-establish confidence in a film festival that has dug itself into a celluloid hole.

Berlinale Poster

After a few conversations with some professional industry colleagues about the upcoming edition, we are starting to have more questions.  What happened to doing something new?  It is no secret the Berlinale fell behind, lacking the grandeur of Cannes, the artistic component of Venice, the hipness of Sundance or the commercial launching heft of SXSW, the space for change, a new way opportunity,is wide open in the German Capital.  Yet, festival head Tricia Tuttle is on a Honey Moon press tour using pleasant Cucumber Salad language on how the festival looks to differentiate itself from the past. However, on closer examination, what changed appears unclear to regular Berlinale goers.  One category eliminated, a new one added, the same past filmmakers with the similar thematic films appear on the schedule, again.

The wait and see game has started.   Hopefully, the newly installed Berlinale team has not wasted precious good will. 

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Is the Course Change Working?

What happens when a course change may fail before the actual implementation? The 75th edition of the Berlinale could soon become a case study answering this question.   Less than two months before the German Capital hosts filmmakers, headlines rolling out have painted an unflattering portrait of the Potsdamer Platz headquarters.   Head Tricia Tuttle makes her debut February as the first female head of the international film hub.  Although, reading recent Berlinale news coverage, the American may want to take cover in a dark movie theater in order to forget all the troubles.  

Berlinale

Budget cuts, lack of screens, controversial past winners have taken a toll on the Berlinale’s reputation in the global filmmaker community.  Global filmmakers may skip Berlin, weary of being labeled antisemitic because of their stance on the Middle East conflict.  Instead of celebrating cinema, captions reading “a balancing tightrope”, “unwanted fears”, “revising the budget every month” are overshadowing a cinematic event trying to regain competitive footing with Cannes and Venice Festivals. 

As for the movies announced so far, the schedule comes as torpid, local, lacking big draws, a zero-sum excitement level.  The Competition category announcement occurs on January 21st. Perhaps then, the Berlinale can regain some it’s lost luster.

The Berlinale starts February 13th.

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Choice or Opportunity talk on Chat Cinema

Director Wes Andre Goodrich talks about his short film MEAL TICKET on this episode of Chat Cinema Podcast. The work centers on a story of a choice and an opportunity. The up and coming Brooklyn based filmmaker’s delves into the conscience of a person taking a step upward, but at what price?

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An Out Of Sync Gladiator 2

Ridley Scott’s 2000 Best Picture directorial work Gladiator was a seminal moment in 21st century cinema.  Oscar winner Russel Crowe’s broody Maximus made an impression on filmgoers.   Gladiator 2 arrived in cinemas this week.  It is best to leave well enough alone. This come twenty-four years later sequel is an out of sync spectacle.

Paul Mescal has some big sandals to fill as Lucius, the less brutal, more pondering vengeful son of Maximus. Not lacking in the spirit of role but lacking the grit, the Irish actor looked as if he was learned how to swim without an instructor for the first time. 

Gladiator 2
Denzel Washington as Macrinus

Denzel Washington as the scheming Macrinus was relishing his role at times the twice Academy Award earner overshadowed a cast that came off as having taken a high dosage of Xanax.

The Wikipedia referenced script has the usual assortment of Roman Empire intrigue for the civic crown.  I, Claudius captured these characters better.

Scott plays well with the visual, too bad the whole Gladiator 2 was just a lot of humdrum separate parts.

2.5/5 stars.

Gladiator 2 is in European Cinemas.  Running Time: 2 hours 28 mins.

Release Date in the US on November 22nd.

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The Season is Here

Awards Season has started, so has our screening of films that could get nominated for a trophy. Look for news, interviews and reviews here.

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Lebanon’s Foreign Film Pick

Mira Shaib’s Arze has been chosen as Lebanon’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Film. The story of a single mother keeping her family above water with a home pastry business.  Ambition can be a bad counselor.  After buying a scooter for business expansion, Arze finds herself on a quest through Beirut trying to recover the stolen minibike. 

Arze

Screened at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, Arze delves into a dysfunctional world where tribalism rules. Mira tackles the subject with an underdone urgency.

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Halloween Watch

Do you need a few films to watch this Halloween? These are titles we recommend for night at home with popcorn.

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The Iconic French Star

Alain Delon, the French Cinematic Star passes away at 88. Delon was known for his intense smouldering good looks and big screen presence. Le Samouraï happens to be a film noir favourite.

Born in Sceaux, France in 1935, Delon became an international star in the 1960’s working with directors including Rene Clement, Luchino Visconti and Louis Malle.

Alain Delon was more than handsome, but also had charisma and talent.

Alan Delon
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A Mad Max Ending

The expectation was for a Summer 2024 Blockbuster, the reality was a fizzle.  There have been so much written about the failure to generate a barely noticeable Memorial Weekend debut of Furiosa, the latest Mad Max installment.  After only collecting $31 million at the box office over the four-day weekend.  One commentator after another has an opinion or analyses are still trending on the Internet.  Why didn’t this critically lauded fifth work in the series connect?  

Mad Max No. 5.

After the positive debut reception at the Cannes Film Festival, George Miller’s $165 million dystopian epic looked like a sure winner with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score.  No one knows what the public will like.  Nine years after the release of Mad Max:Fury Road, director and writer Miller took the prequel route with a backstory to Charlie Theron’s Imperator Furiosa character.  This is a no spoiler commentary. I have not watched the movie, but planning to get my ticket soon.

Blame

The world is a different place from 2015.  Covid, wars on two fronts, perhaps there is audience fatigue on dark subject matter. Who can blame the public? At times, strolling through a news feed requires a Paxil.

Ticket goers, straining under inflation, are more cautious about shelling out twenty or thirty dollars for a movie based on a cinema cult property.

The window for theatrical release before on a streaming service has shortened.  Viewers are deciding to wait to watch releases at home.  IF and the Ryan Gosling comedy The Fall Guy had less than spectacular openings. 

Top billed Ann Taylor-Joy is not the box office draw the industry many in the industry expected. The Miami native’s career could take a hit. Studios may no longer gamble on The Queen Gambit’s drawing eyeballs to movie houses. Meanwhile, co-star Chris Hemsworth will be fine wearing tights in another MCU flick.

As a fan of the Mel Gibson Mad Max Trilogy, I would have liked to a story based on the lone survivor theme.  However, given the veteran action star’s age and in particular his well publicised anger management problems, the creative team sought a fresh story more in line with present day sensibilities.

The present media frenzy points to writing off the franchise.  I give it a few years, then there will be a reboot with a new director and lead actor.  The Mad Max Saga has only stalled, waiting for a refuel.

Check out our Chat Cinema Podcast for all the stories and interviews.