Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen) is the most feared and famous theatre critic in 1930s London, saving his most savage takedowns for Nina Land (Gemma Arterton), an already unsure leading lady. He takes pleasure in ritually tearing her down, a practice that has further eroded her fragile sense of confidence. As a gay man forever at the mercy of laws that prohibit his very existence, Jimmy is living life on the edge, while showboating his flamboyance in writing. But when his newspaper’s proprietor dies and his son (Mark Strong) takes over, Jimmy is told to be careful, to avoid falling foul of his new boss’s family values by cutting down on the cattiness. When his job security is threatened, he hatches a devious plan, setting off a chain of events with terrible consequences.

Directed by

Anand Tucker

Starring

Gemma Arterton, Romola Garai, Alfred Enoch, Lesley Manville, Mark Strong, Ian McKellen, Ben Barnes