Old Master: 'The Christophers' Review
Ian McKellen is astounding. The rest of The Christophers is pretty good too.
(No Spoilers)
Steven Soderbergh is just messing with us at this point—and doing it in the best kind of way. I don’t even know what makes a Soderbergh film anymore, and I’m more confused and amused than usual after watching this low-key art-world charmer with the gentlest thriller vibes.
The Christophers is something different for him—an unflashy true actor showcase. That actor being one of our greats, Ian McKellen, in an unforgettable role as Julian Sklar, a formerly renowned queer painter turned Simon Cowell-esque reality TV grouch now shooting ignoble cameos for a living in a massive London townhouse.
Michaela Coel plays Lori Butler, a master forger and critic commissioned by Sklar’s children—Sally and Barnaby, played pitch-perfectly by Jessica Gunning and James Corden—to forge their octogenarian father’s last good paintings so they can make a mint, as he is expected to die soon. Lori becomes a sort of muse, friend, and challenger to Julian in a battle of wits, generations, and worldviews. Yet they share a true artist’s love of the craft on a deep, creative level. Coel really does so much through stillness and physicality.
This is a deceptive movie about a lot, yet presented in a small package. Ed Solomon‘s script is restrained and clever. It muses on regret and the past as both Julian and Lori reckon with who they were and who they now are and whether they can reclaim their spark. Though set in the art world, its meaning is applicable to any creative field and allows for the audience to see themselves within the work.
Films in the same vein come to mind: Nicole Holofcener‘s You Hurt My Feelings and Can You Ever Forgive Me? (which Holofcener wrote) and Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up. It’s gentle while still making you think and wraps itself up in a bow while still being a little messy and acerbic.
Ian McKellen, one of our truly great actors, is astounding. Verbose and passionate, he embodies Julian fully—there’s a lifetime of joy and pain dancing across his face, sometimes at the same time. This is a solid movie on its own merits, but watch it mainly for McKellen—an early Best Supporting Actor submission for me for next year’s Oscars.
