A mainstay of the London art scene since his starry breakout in the creative explosion of the 1960’s, Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) has drifted into a cluttered, self-imposed seclusion.
His two estranged children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) enlist Lori (Michaela Coel), a young painter and sometime-forger, to pose as a prospective assistant and gain access to a fabled series of unfinished canvases Julian has buried deep in his home studio, in a deceptive bid to secure an inheritance for themselves.
What is the value of art? Does it reside in personal expression? Cultural longevity? Financial worth? These questions fuel this gloriously entertaining comedy, directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Ed Solomon.
★★★★★
“Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are the double act of the year”
– Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
★★★★
“Ian McKellen’s best performance since Gandalf”
– The Independent
★★★★
“McKellen’s show – he’s having such a fantastic time that the results are as thrilllingly visceral as if we’re in a theatre watching him perform live”
– Time Out