The Christophers, the latest film from Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh and frequent collaborator Ed Solomon, made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival to strong early reviews. The mystery-thriller has impressed critics, earning a solid 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. With its sharp direction, a twist-filled script, and standout performances, The Christophers is quickly generating awards buzz.
The film stars Ian McKellen as a legendary but reclusive art icon facing a terminal illness, and Michaela Coel as a rising young painter commissioned to complete eight unfinished canvases he abandoned decades earlier.
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Variety’s Peter Debruge is a fan of the film, saying its stars are “brilliantly matched,” and writing that the film features “two top-notch English actors of wildly different backgrounds and styles, Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel, at the top of their respective games.”
Chase Hutchinson at The Wrap praises Coel’s performance, noting that she is “able to bring deep layers to her character in even the quietest of moments.” He goes on to describe the overall result as riveting. “In the end, this film about artists becomes a work of art in its own right. The more you look at it, the more its many components reveal themselves to you.”
No one seems to disagree with this assessment. Benjamin Lee at The Guardian writes, “The actors play off each other beautifully in an intimate London-set comedy drama.” He says the pacing keeps the audience on the edge of its seat. “The Christophers is a talky, at times incredibly funny, comedy drama with plot reversals that make it feel like it’s on the verge of a thriller.”
And David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter calls McKellen and Coel “an irresistible match” and praises the former’s performance. “McKellen plays offense with wicked glee, but it’s when he lets vulnerability and hurt peek through the cracks in Julian’s sardonic armor that the performance soars highest. At 86, the actor remains in peerless form.”
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