The world of 1936 London theater takes center stage in The Critic, director Anand Tucker’s latest movie that made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film, in fact, marks Tucker’s return to feature work in over a decade, the last being 2010’s Leap Year. The two couldn’t be more different: where Leap Year was a romantic comedy that offered hope and tugged at the heartstrings, tying everything with a Hollywood happy ending, The Critic takes us to the darker corners of desire and ambition, spinning a tale of deceit and greed.
The Critic stars Ian McKellen in the titular role as he teams up with a struggling stage actress, played by Gemma Arterton, to salvage their careers.