What would the moviegoing experience be like without Sir Ian McKellen? With a career spanning more than half a century, McKellen was trained in theater and has produced not only great plays and serious drama, but also science fiction and It has become synonymous with fantasy masterpieces. McKellen headlined two major series in the 2000s, directing Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy (and its lesser-loved prequels) and the pre-MCU superhero series. He played memorable roles in both of the outstanding X-Men trilogies.
McKellen brings a unique weight to every role he plays, and has worked on a number of decent films, including The Da Vinci Code, The Golden Compass and, dare I say it, Cats. With such an extensive and important career, it is difficult to say which of McKellen’s films are his best, but even when the human brain fails, the Rotten Tomatoes algorithm’s (sometimes very (unstable) indicators are theoretically successful. You may not be able to pick just one performance by McKellen that is better than the others, but according to review aggregation sites, McKellen has appeared in two different films that have received unsolicited praise from critics. . These aren’t the blockbusters mentioned above, or the films that earned McKellen two Oscar nominations. Rather, the two most acclaimed films of the actor’s career are complex, intense dramas made decades apart.
McKellen nominated for Emmy Award for powerful AIDS drama
first Critically “perfect” McKellen films are strictly TV movies. Released on HBO in 1993 (and later rebroadcast on NBC), “And the Band Played On” boldly depicted the scientific, political, social, and personal realities of America’s AIDS epidemic. It was something. The film follows two researchers with conflicting goals who make important (but sometimes bureaucratically thwarted) discoveries about the nature of HIV/AIDS as gay men begin to die in alarming numbers. , starring Matthew Modine (most recently known for his role in Stranger Things) and Alan Alda. . McKellen plays gay activist Bill Krause. Bill Kraus was a congressional aide who died from a virus in real life in 1986.
All 12 critics listed by RT for the film gave it a positive review. About LA TimesHoward Rosenberg said, “At its best, ‘And the Band Played On’ strikes a dark, eerie rhythm of mystery,” but at its worst, the film is “a combination of disparate elements into a single… It appears to have solidified into gelatin.” However, Rosenberg, like other critics, praises the film’s attempt to translate its source material, a layered and detailed nonfiction book by Randy Shilts, for moviegoers. “There’s a lot of material to draw together, and the complexity of Schiltz’s book would be difficult for almost any screenwriter,” he writes.
And the Band Played On received critical acclaim and was nominated for an Emmy Award for McKellen and five other actors (the cast was diverse, including Richard Gere, BD Wong, Lily Tomlin and even Steve Martin were included). The film won an Emmy trophy for outstanding television film, as well as a Humanitas Award and GLAAD honors. Despite its impressive reputation, there are several aspects of the film that reflect still flawed attitudes towards queer people and HIV/AIDS. As Rosenberg writes, the show has a tendency to turn its straight, doctor heroes into impossibly built white knights, while LGBTQ+ characters have never been exposed to kissing on screen. There is never a sexual orientation, and “it’s as if TV’s sanitizer had intervened and isolated gay characters from reality.” ”
The actor’s showdown with Anthony Hopkins received rave reviews.
McKellen’s second perfect movie More than 20 years later, in 2015 he headlined opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins in an adaptation of Ronald Harwood’s 1980 play The Dresser. Although not as explicitly a queer text as “And the Band Plays On,” “The Dresser” deals with a messy, deeply complex, but intimate relationship between two men. One is the domineering Shakespearean actor (Hopkins), known to the audience only as Sir, and the other is his “dresser” Norman (McKellen), who has never set foot on stage. Despite this, he has dedicated his life to helping actors prepare for the stage. Put the spotlight on yourself. As Sir struggles to cling to a sense of power as he ages, Norman faces an uncertain future and their relationship becomes increasingly dysfunctional against the backdrop of World War II bombing.
Another film that bypassed theaters entirely, The Dresser, premiered on BBC 2 in the UK (later aired on Starz in the US) and quickly received positive reviews. An acting showcase between two of the best actors of their generation, “The Dresser” features a multi-layered approach to the original work and performances of both Harwood’s play and Sir’s portrayal of “King Lear” in the film. Critics praised it as being accurate. “The best part of “The Dresser” is seeing Hopkins and McKellen, two actors at their peak, playing off each other.” Julia Felsenthal of Vogue magazine writes: It is one of 14 positive reviews recorded on Rotten Tomatoes. “Their relationship is an elaborate codependent dance that has been in the making for decades,” she explained.
The Rotten Tomatoes data isn’t always accurate, but The Dresser and And the Band Played On are great movies by any definition. You don’t need an excuse to see Ian McKellen’s amazing performance. If you want to watch the two today, you can find “And The Band Played On” on HBO’s streamer Max. Meanwhile, “The Dresser” is still available to watch on Starz.
