The Christophers 5 stars
Steven Soderbergh has directed, written and done cinematography for more great movies than I can count including Sex, Lies and Videotape, Magic Mike and the Oceans Eleven series. Now he has done it again with The Christophers, a film that takes on the subject of what makes art great while also criticizing the influence of the rich in valuing art. Plus, it shows off the talents of two great British actors working today: Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings series and the dreadful Cats) and Michaela Coel (Mother Mary). McKellan is Julian Sklar, an aging accomplished artist who hasn’t painted any new works in thirty years. He is known for painting a series of portraits called The Christophers but never finished the last series of paintings. It is rumored that the partially done works are stashed away in his attic. Now he has become a recluse, hiding away in his London house while collecting checks for his appearances as a judge on a TV reality show. Coel is Lori Butler, who once had a starting career as an artist but now works as an art restorer, as she is known for her ability to mimic the styles of famous painters. Lori is approached by Sklar’s two greedy children (James Corden (Cats) and Jessice Gunning) who offer her the chance to make some money by getting hired as Sklar’s assistant. The plan is for her to gain access to the house, find the unfinished paintings, complete them to make them look like Sklar’s work, and put them back. Then, after the artist dies his children will “find” these lost works, put them on the market and make millions. Sounds like a great plan, right? What could go wrong? If you have ever seen a similar crime movie, the answer is plenty, right? The appeal of the film doesn’t depend on how the plan will turn out. We are pretty sure the crime won’t go according to plan. The real interesting thing is watching how this pair interact with each other, relating their experiences in the art world, while engaging in a battle of wits against each other. The two are masters in mind games against the other. At times Sklar becomes abusive, issuing caustic comments, walking around dressed in a bath robe and criticizing Lori. Lori stands up to him but keeps silent when needed. When she gets fired, she refuses to accept the termination. Most of the movie takes place in Sklar’s home and special recognition must go to the production team for creating something that looks like it would belong to an artist who has lived there for decades. The house is filled with tools of the trade and various knick-knacks that one would expect. It is a pleasure to see these two stars on the screen together. Can it be too early to think of Oscar nominations for both?