Carey Mulligan versus the critic shows that revenge is a dish best served cold

I like the actor Carey Mulligan a lot. I like her gorgeous face and most of her films, I also like Margot Robbie. In fact, I, Tonya, starring Robbie as the disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding, is one of my favourite films; being that rarest of things: a truly successful black comedy.

I also adore Emerald Fennell, mostly because I loved her as the gorgeous, red-haired lesbian Patsy Mount in Call The Midwife (a series I will defend to the death) and because she was so great as Camilla, in the most recent series of The Crown. 

Fennell is a fascinating woman, the daughter of the jewellery designer Theo Fennell, who I remember being huge in the Eighties when costume bling was the thing. She is also a writer and director.

And together, these three fabulous actors have collaborated on a revenge thriller called Promising Young Woman, which is yet to be screened in the UK. The film is written and directed by Fennell, co-produced by Robbie and stars Mulligan; and I, for one, have already booked my seat on the sofa for when this “drops”.

Reviews for the film are generally very good, but a couple of bitchy comments in Variety pissed Mulligan off and last week the magazine apologised – but it’s debatable whether they should have done.

In a nutshell, sixtysomething gay male film critic Dennis Harvey wrote a review of Promising Young Woman for Variety magazine that seemed to call Mulligan out for not being as hot as the film’s producer – the undeniably hot Margot Robbie – going so far as to suggest that Mulligan was miscast in the role, and that Robbie would have been a better fit.

Now, this is his opinion, and once upon a time, he’d have been entitled to it – but Mulligan was miffed, and bit back publicly.

As a performer and a writer with paper-thin skin, I totally sympathise with Mulligan. I know what it’s like to want to publicly shame anyone who you feel has publicly shamed you.

Personally, I feel like burning down the houses of anyone who leaves me a less than glowing review for one of my novels on Amazon; and I still shudder at a 2* Guardian review for a one-woman play I wrote and performed at the Edinburgh festival in 2004, to, quote: “Beneath its surface wit, there is absolutely nothing going on” – gah!

So, while being totally on Mulligan’s side, I weirdly also feel some sympathy for the critic. What’s the point in being a critic if you can’t criticise? But was he criticising Mulligans’ performance, or was he criticising her?

The line here is very blurred, but apparently the reviewer is horrified at the backlash against his comments, which might have been forgotten had Mulligan not herself brought them up in a couple of interviews, almost 12 months later.

As we know, revenge is best served cold, and the critic is mortified at accusations of misogyny. Now, I have some sympathy for this chap, who never expected to be rounded on so publicly, but you know what? Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it back.

There is something very empowering about an artist answering back, and a not-very-nice part of me enjoyed the idea of this man squirming.

I also didn’t buy his excuse that being an older gay man meant that he didn’t go round “dwelling on the hotness of young female actors”.

Rubbish! Older gay men are just as capable as anyone of judging what constitutes sexy on celluloid, and his review also contained the line that Cassie (Mulligan’s character), “wears her pick up bait as bad drag” – which must have stung.

So, should Variety magazine have issued a public apology on behalf of the critic, a year after the review was originally published? Probably not. Should Carey Mulligan have taken issue with the comments? Definitely.

I love the idea of younger women fighting their own corner. I also like the ensuing debate. What I don’t particularly like is Variety magazine grovelling, backing down and throwing one of their writers under the bus.

Everyone can learn from this, and maybe the best outcome would be to even up the number of female film critics who work in the media.

In the US, the ratio is 66 per cent male to 34 per cent female. In this country, these figures are even worse; with estimates of 75 per cent to 25 per cent in favour of predominantly old(ish) white men.

In the meantime, I think it’s healthy to call out the critics, but unhealthy to silence them. With performers having instant social media access to their fans, no critic has the power they once had. The people will make their own minds up – good.

Debate is healthy, and let’s face it – we all need something to argue over while we’re waiting for the next new film to stream. So, roll on Promising Young Woman, and congratulations to Mulligan, Fennell and Robbie. You made a film, whereas the critic just sat and watched it. I think you win, ladies.