The Christophers Review
The Christophers is the latest film by Steven Soderbergh, and this time, he’s focusing on how art and its legacy can impact people. Whilst it doesn’t quite nail the landing on everything, the performances by Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel make it well worth watching.
The story follows Lori (Coel), an art restorer by trade, who finds herself caught up in a dubious plan concocted by siblings Barnaby and Sallie (James Corden and Jessica Gunning). They believe that their Dad’s property contains some priceless artworks, specifically a series of incomplete paintings called The Christophers, which they hope will make them rich. In order to get these, they persuade her to take a job with their formally renowned painter father, Julian Sklar (McKellen), who is now reduced to earning money through video message shoutouts, to try and get them.
When it comes to performances, McKellen is fantastic as Julian. There’s no doubt that he takes genuine delight in performing the swagger of his character, whilst also portraying the underlying sorrow of a man who has only ever hurt others. Coel is more than up to the task of sharing the screen with him, delivering a calm and controlled performance throughout. The screenplay may not give Lori the same depth that it provides Julian, but her performance is so strong that it’s easy to overlook the lack of complexity in her part.
As for Corden and Gunning, the two scheming siblings, they are truly delightful in their parts, even if their characters are somewhat one-dimensional and limited to being plot points.
Interestingly, the entire film is directed as if it were a two-person show. Virtually all of the action takes place in Julian’s house, and Soderbergh relies solely on his actors for the film to succeed. This approach is daring, but in general, it works well, although some patience may be required from the audience. It is not the plot, but rather the slow build of the film that makes it compelling to watch because The Christophers is interested in discussing the difficulty in creating art itself.
As such, it feels more substantial than you might have expected going into it. In addition, the screenplay written by Ed Solomon is quite witty and makes numerous interesting points regarding who controls an artist’s inheritance and what the art world values in art itself. Although I was surprised to see that it was billed as a black comedy, given the limited laughs, I still felt that it was a strong piece of writing.
In the end, The Christophers ultimately is a story about legacy, both in what we create and what will live beyond us. For Julian and Lori, survival requires them to work odd jobs to get by, and their spark seemingly goes with it. That doesn’t mean it was always that way for them, though. The film asks you to question what you are willing to sacrifice to feel fulfilled. Its ability to be both humorous and reflective, yet still say something meaningful and profound, also makes for a fascinating watch.
This is one of the best performances of the year from McKellen, the chemistry between him and Coel is outstanding, and the film leaves you feeling emotionally invested by the end. Importantly, it leaves us with the question of what really inspires us. For some, it might be money, for others, it’s what their work means to others.
★★★
In cinemas on May 15th / Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, James Corden, Jessica Gunning / Dir: Steven Soderbergh / NEON, Picturehouse / 15
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