The Christophers: Film Gang Review

The Christophers, Steven Soderbergh’s latest foray into the intimacies of chamber comedy, stars Ian McKellan as Julian Sklar, a once influential and famous pop-era artist whose glory faded long ago. Now near the end of his life, he is mostly famous for being famous and makes his living recording cameos for those still besotted with his vintage genius. 

Stored deep in his attic are a set of unfinished paintings, the last in a series called “The Chrisophers”, based on a young lover who ultimately left Julian at the height of his fame. Potentially worth millions, Julian’s estranged children, Sallie and Barnaby, long to see the paintings finished in order to augment their diminished inheritance. Played by Jessica Gunning and James Corden, they despise their father, almost as much as he despises them, and deceptively hire a struggling, but skilled, artist and forger to masquerade as Julian’s personal assistant with a plan to have her secretly finish the paintings. 

The forger, Lori Butler, played by Michaela Coel, is not only an artist, but also a keen observer of humanity whose compassion and penetrating psychological prowess bump against Julian’s nacissistic and viscous wit. The transformation born of their cat and mouse encounter fuels a plot with just enough suspense, and surprising turns, to keep you happily enraptured with what unfolds. 

Ian McKellen could not have been stretched in yet another role portraying a brilliant curmudgeon, but he is always captivating to watch, due to how deeply he embodies his characters. Michaela Coel is equally wondrous to behold, with so much of what she commnicates coming through her facial expressions and her still-waters-run-deep presence.

James Corden and Jessica Gunning hit all the right notes as the bumbling, less-than-intelligent fools who set this ridiculous plan in motion and grossly underestimate their clever father, who quickly unravels their plot, and at one point states, rather obviously, “Never underestimate the internet skills of a man whose been googling himself for years.”

This film is yet another that Steven Soderbergh not only directs, but also serves as cinematographer and editor, both listed under the pseudonyms. Soderbergh, whose career was launched with Sex, Lies and Videotapes, understands the realm of intimate human relationships. And, in this film, he captures the redemptive force of pure presence and of what can blossom when one is relentlessly seen through the perceptive eyes of another. 

If you long for the classic days of art-house cinema, whiling away an afternoon with good popcorn and a satisfying story, this is your film.

Film Gang Review by Christine Barrington