STARRING: Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, Jessica Gunning. Cameo James Corden. Written by Ed Solomon. Music by David Holmes. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Running time 100 minutes.
The plot sees the elderly, reclusive and deeply eccentric painter, Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) hire an art assistant, Lori Butler (Michaela Coel) on the behest of his two estranged children, Sallie (Jessica Gunning) and Barnaby (James Corden). Although unbeknown to Julian, Lori is a plant sent in by the two scheming adult children to find hidden in Julian's town-house six unfinished paintings called The Christophers. It turns out that Julian painted them of his lover back in the 1990s as part of the third series of paintings, of which they were never completed. Lori, a painter herself, has been hired by the children to find the paintings, finish them off and hide them in the house so that on Julian's death they can be discovered and sold for a fortune.
Together these two bicker and argue and slowly re-ignite each other's passions for art and work out a scheme to torpedo the sibling's plans and secrets are revealled and past transgressions exposed to powerful effect.
It's funny going into this I had no idea it was a Steven Soderbergh film, and it's only once the credits rolled that I realised the truth and it made total sense, this as a real quality of his, and reminded me tonally of his excellent spy movie of last year, 'Black Bag'. He really does have an excellent eye for direction and performances and both leads are exceptionally good in their roles. Similarly the art direction and locations are wonderful. And Julian's London town houses truly convince as the sprawling home of a one famous artist and his life time of hoarding artistic junk.
The interplay between both Coel and McKellen is the absolute key to the success of this film and this proved to be a most satisfying and entertaining exploration of the creative process.
A great soundtrack by frequent collaborator David Holmes is a welcome addition. This was a deeply satisfying and engrossing film and worth a gander. And best of all the odious James Cordon doesn't stay on the screen long enough to poison the whole thing.
8/10
It's funny going into this I had no idea it was a Steven Soderbergh film, and it's only once the credits rolled that I realised the truth and it made total sense, this as a real quality of his, and reminded me tonally of his excellent spy movie of last year, 'Black Bag'. He really does have an excellent eye for direction and performances and both leads are exceptionally good in their roles. Similarly the art direction and locations are wonderful. And Julian's London town houses truly convince as the sprawling home of a one famous artist and his life time of hoarding artistic junk.
The interplay between both Coel and McKellen is the absolute key to the success of this film and this proved to be a most satisfying and entertaining exploration of the creative process.
A great soundtrack by frequent collaborator David Holmes is a welcome addition. This was a deeply satisfying and engrossing film and worth a gander. And best of all the odious James Cordon doesn't stay on the screen long enough to poison the whole thing.
8/10
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