REVIEW: THE CHRISTOPHERS
THE GIST
Intriguing from start to end with great performances throughout
THE REVIEW
!!!SPOILERS!!!
EXPECTATIONS
It was on my maybe watch list.
I originally wasn’t even on that but I heard good things. Even that it may be award worthy.
CONTEXT
The Christophers (2026) originated from a casual, one-sentence pitch over drinks between director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Ed Solomon. The two were discussing what they were currently reflecting on, and Soderbergh suggested the core premise: an aging, once-famous artist near the end of his life, and a young apprentice who shows up with hidden, perhaps deceptive motives.Solomon developed this initial pitch into a narrative examining legacy, artistic authenticity, and the toll of public fame. The resulting story focuses on Julian (played by Ian McKellen), a formerly renowned painter whose reputation soured after he became a judge on a reality art competition. With his children eager to cash in on a final, unfinished series of paintings, they hire an artist/forger (Lorie, played by Michaela Coel) to complete his abandoned works.To capture the feeling of this story, the creative team worked with painters and scenic artists to build in-world portraits. Furthermore, Soderbergh wanted the performances to remain spontaneous and natural, shooting the acting scenes almost entirely in just one or two takes with some dialogue improvised on set. (from imdb)
THE PLOT
The children of a once famous artist hire a forger to complete some unfinished, long ago abandoned canvases so they'll have an inheritance when he dies.
THE EXPERIENCE
This wasn’t the simple narrative over-acted snooze fest I thought it would be.
I wouldn’t say it’s a feel-good movie but there is some of that to it.
The film is itself, a work of art.
THE MEAT
Director, Steven Soderbergh: My favourite films of his are Erin Brockovich, The Ocean’s trilogy, Side Effects, and Contagion. Oh, I forgot The Informant! and Unsane. And to be honest, they are the only films I have seen of his. He is quite the seasoned director with 33 feature films under his belt. It shows in his work.
Ian McKellen: Watching Ian McKellen’s character become inspired again was inspiring in itself. His character Julian is his own worst enemy and his own muse at the same time. He is haunted by his past and his decline of talent as he ages. Lori aids in getting him inspired but can’t bring his talent back, at that moment at least. This really showed me his acting chops and that he is one of the greats.
Michaela Coel: Her expressions don’t give away much. It’s like her brain doesn’t tell her face how she is feeling. Despite this she somehow manages to portray everything that is needed for the film. Whatever she is doing, it is working.
The Story: The twist about 30 odd minutes in I didn’t see coming. It really changed the second act, and in turn, the whole story. The journey from deception turned into a kinship relationship between Julian and Lori was executed well. Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel made the whole thing feel genuine. The third act changes the stakes and I was intrigued to see how it all played out. The plot thickened, the relationship deepened, the characters grew on me more. Their intertwined past complicated the friendship but was ultimately healing for them both. The ending, although tragic, was sweet and satisfying.
The Writer: Written by Ed Solomon, the same person who wrote Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. He’s come a long way 😂. This is a much more mature and complex story.
James Cordon: Was believable as a self entitled greedy adult child 😂.
SUMMARY
I can see at least an award nomination for Ian McKellen and maybe Michaela Coel.
Soderbergh may even get a nod for directing or the film itself.
The talents involved in front of and behind the camera knew what they were doing. It was confidently executed.
