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13/09/2024 Thriller, Crime, Drama, Mystery 1h 41m
57
User score

Ambition seduces. Power corrupts.

Overview

Jimmy Erskine is the most feared theatre critic of the age. He lives as flamboyantly as he writes and takes pleasure in savagely taking down any actor who fails to meet his standards. When the owner of the Daily Chronicle dies, and his son takes over, Jimmy quickly finds himself at odds with his new boss and his position under threat. In an attempt to preserve the power and influence he holds so sacred, Jimmy strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actress, entangling them and the boss in a thrilling but deadly web of desire, blackmail, and betrayal.

  1. Anand Tucker

    Director

  2. Patrick Marber

    Writer

Top billed cast

  1. Ian McKellen

    Jimmy Erskine

  2. Gemma Arterton

    Nina Land

  3. Mark Strong

    David Brooke

  4. Lesley Manville

    Annabel Land

  5. Ben Barnes

    Stephen Wyley

  6. Romola Garai

    Cora Wyley

  7. Alfred Enoch

    Tom Tunner

  8. Ron Cook

    Hugh Morris

  9. Claire Skinner

    Mary Brooke

  10. View more

Full Cast & Crew

Reviews

A review by CinemaSerf
Written by CinemaSerf on 2024-09-22
If you saw Sir Ian McKellen with fellow thesp Sir Derek Jacobi in the television sitcom "Vicious" from around ten years ago, you'll be able to anticipate the gist of his characterisation of the acerbic theatre critic "Erskine" who is way more famed for distributing bile rather than bouquets. His new boss (Mark Strong) wants the newspaper to appeal to an altogether more wholesome family audience and so wants him to tone things down a bit. "Yeah, right" thinks he - and then his own behaviour gets him into trouble with the police and given one month's notice from his job. Facing looming ignominy,...read the rest
Read All Reviews

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Status
Released

Original Language
English

Budget
$0.00

Revenue
$824,517.00

Keywords