Andrew Scott Stuns as Ian Charleson in 'Elsinore' — SkimNews
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- Elsinore stars Andrew Scott as Scottish actor Ian Charleson, who gained prominence in 1981's Chariots of Fire and Gandhi, set in 1989 as he pursues a coveted Hamlet role at the National Theatre after Daniel Day-Lewis's departure
- Andrew Scott delivers what the reviewer calls 'likely his most remarkable on-screen performance,' playing a gregarious gay man whose dream role arrives just as a visible lesion appears on his face
- Simon Stone directs the film with a script by Stephen Beresford (who wrote Pride); supporting cast includes Olivia Colman as Charleson's doctor, Billie Piper as his casting director friend, Johnny Flynn as director Richard Eyre, and Peter Mullan in a brief turn as his father
- The reviewer positions Elsinore as a counterweight to the current 'queer joy' trend in LGBTQ+ cinema, arguing the AIDS crisis—which killed more than 44 million people worldwide versus about 7 million for Covid—remains under-explored on screen
- Elsinore premiered at the Toronto film festival where 'tears were shed by many' and is scheduled for US cinemas on 20 November, UK release on 29 January, with an Australian date to follow
Why it matters: The review frames Elsinore as a deliberate counter to the 'queer joy' and 'chosen family' trend in LGBTQ+ cinema, arguing that the AIDS crisis—which killed more than 44 million people worldwide—remains under-explored on screen. By centering Ian Charleson, a real actor who died at 40 after being diagnosed at 37, the film grounds that historical reckoning in one man's fight to scale artistic heights before his body failed.
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