THE CHRISTOPHERS Review

Departing from his most recent entries of a spy thriller and a ghost story, director Steven Soderbergh brings to life the world of two very different artists in his new film, The Christophers. From threatening to retire from directing to popping out three films in just over a year is impressive for any director, but doing three completely different genres proves why Soderbergh is one of today’s modern classic directors.

A black comedy, The Christophers does a fantastic job of balancing deeper emotions with dry, witty humour. Set in London, England, we open with our protagonist, Lori Butler (Michaela Coel) receiving an offer from an old art school friend to complete her father’s famous painting series named The Christophers III.

Uncompleted by infamous artist Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) The Christophers III have been locked away for over a decade, and are valued at over 3 million pounds. A struggling artist herself, paying her rent by working in a food truck, Lori takes up her friend's offer to forge her father’s famous series with the promise of a third of the profit once the series is sold. Under the disguise of interviewing to become Julian’s assistant, Lori goes over to his home with the mission of finding the unfinished series, completing it without him knowing, and leaving the finished paintings in the house to be found after Julian passes away. 

Expecting to find a withering old man on her arrival, Lori is surprised to find Julian as sharp as ever. No longer creating art, Julian spends most of his time making Cameo videos for fans as a source of income. Living in two side-by-side three-story townhouses, Julian’s whole life can be seen through his home. Chaotic and unabashed, Julian says whatever comes to his mind, and the generational divide between Lori and himself becomes evident. Despite seemingly clashing on the surface, deep down, Julian and Lori are more similar than they realise. Both have dry, yet witty deliveries, both are queer, and they both have stopped showing their art. 

The pain and pressure of being an artist are beautifully shown in this film. I was trying to think back to Soderbergh’s previous films, and I don’t think any of them really show this level of humanity. Erin Brockovich comes close, but is still more of a biopic than a straight connection between two characters. Though we move among a few locations, the primary setting is Julian’s home, which makes The Christophers feel like a chamber piece. 

Ed Solomon (Bill & Ted) wrote the screenplay and delivers some Shakespearean-level dialogue for McKellen and Coel to throw around. Similar to Soderbergh, I am impressed with how Solomon can evolve as a writer. Going from stoner comedy to dry British comedy is not an easy feat, but Solomon does it seamlessly. The strength of the film truly comes from the strong dialoge and how they are expertly delivered by McKellen and Coel. 

A true artist herself, Coel is establishing herself as a voice to be reckoned with for the generations to come. Through her portrayal of Lori, we see Coel bring forth a broken spirit that needs to find her passion once again. Some may criticise that Coel is too stone-faced, but that is her true gift. Staying so neutral until she methodically lets her emotions slip through. A terrific performance, and I'm happy that Coel gets to work with such a prestigious actor like McKellen.

At 86, McKellen continues to prove the star that he is. He delivers a commendable performance as a broken man who has lost his love and spark for life. That is, until Lori arrives and provides Julian with the cathartic release he has been craving for decades. Together, they can revive Julian Sklar and the artist he always was. Together, in their own unique way, Julian and Lori finish The Christophers III, and display it for the public and not for profit.

If you are an artist, I can imagine you, too, will see yourself in Julian or Lori. Striving for perfection from your biggest critic, yourself. At the end of the day, you can not let the critics stop you from sharing your art with the world.

🍿SCORE = 83 / 100