Maxwell

I was at Highbury Stadium the night of Maxwells disappearance was announced on tv. I reckon it was suicide. The chickens had come home to roost. Prison would have awaited his return. David Suchet gives a fine performance as Maxwell. Maybe slightly over the top but that was Capn Bob. Bombast and arrogance mixed with a machiavellian nature.

When Basil Brookes joins his board as financial director, Robert Maxwell owns hundreds of companies, is worth millions and is obsessed with his internal game of one-upmanship with fellow business magnate Rupert Murdock. Brookes finds himself taken in by Maxwell's larger than life character but with share prices dropping and Maxwell's determination that more public exposure for him is the answer, the empire starts to slide. As his advisors push him to offload assets to stabilise his debts, Maxwell pushes to go deeper into the hole to try and get out.

Although it very much a dramatised version of history that offers little sympathy to Maxwell, this film is interesting and engaging as it deals with a powerful and rich man. Like many powerful businessmen, Maxwell's money is not cash sitting in a bank and I did find it engaging to hear him discussing how wealth is about having access to wealth. On one hand he is correct of course but then on the other hand we already know where his attitude towards money. The film goes through the fall of Maxwell with broad brush strokes making up the story but this was never a film for the detail but rather a biopic of a caricature.

This is perhaps too harsh a comment though, because although the character is very much founded in this way, a strong performance by Suchet makes it much more than this and, in doing so, lifts the film as a whole. His Maxwell is suitably inflated and egotistical but he also adds just about enough madness and humanity to make the character interesting. Beyond him the support cast are little more than that – support; with Stevens, Caplan and others all filling in well enough. Director Barr has a very slight mocking tone but controls it to prevent it becoming a p1ss take before it turns darker.

A good television biopic then that goes through the story in good chunks but is mainly driven by a good central turn from Suchet, giving a performance that dominates without spiralling into ham at any point.

'Maxwell' depicts, in a fictional manner, the last few months of the businessman Robert Maxwell, prior to his mysterious disappearance from his yacht in 1991. It is set almost entirely in Maxwell's offices, revealing his taste for luxury and opulence, and, as a result, would work very well as a play.

The title character, understandably, dominates the film and appears in almost all of the shots. Even when he is offscreen, his presence is there as the other characters are inevitably talking about him. In some instances, he is effectively 'present' as he is listening to them through the bugging devices that he planted in the offices and telephones of his closest associates. This demands an actor of serious presence and convincing gravitas; fortunately, in David Suchet the film has such an actor, able to combine Maxwell's seductive charm (including his low, gravelly voice) with his sharp mind and his dominating, bullying personality. Although the crude, 'macho' Maxwell is a long way from the fastidious, effete Hercule Poirot that Suchet is often associated with, he is still convincing in the role.

The question that arose after Maxwell's death was, 'How was he able to get away with what he did to such a degree and for so long?' and this film skilfully answers that in a realistic and meaningful manner. Whilst his subordinates may or may not have been as innocent of direct involvement in his illegal activities as the film insinuates is another matter, but his intimidating manner and clever manipulation of his assets - like a magician - made it credible that he could conceal his activities so well. The difficulty of standing up to him is revealed - those around him were not portrayed as weak, sycophantic lackeys; the way that he bullied his son in front of his senior colleagues or the 'Daily Mirror' editors was a not-so-subtle hint of how they could expect to be treated were they to defy or disagree with him themselves.

If this was based upon a fictional character the film could be criticised for being somewhat repetitive and lacking in imagination, with some of the 'minor characters' such as his wife and son, his personal secretary and the newly-appointed financial director (who tries to make sense of the deliberately complex 'Maxwell empire') being shown as somewhat one-dimensional individuals. However, the fact that Maxwell was real and his activities are a matter of (recent) historical record makes the film compelling, albeit chilling, to watch.

As a fan of David Suchet, I looked forward to seeing Maxwell. And I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I thought it was superb not only because of the strength of the story and script but of the acting. The production values are top notch with great photography, costumes and scenery. The story is compelling, the pacing is well judged and the script is very intelligent. The direction is also very confident and has a good balance of the comedic touch and the dark touch. The acting is very strong, all the supporting performances are very good but it is David Suchet in an exceptional performance as Maxwell who carries the drama. All in all, Maxwell is nothing short of excellent, and I recommend it highly especially if you like Suchet. If you are, you are in for a treat, because this is one of his better non-Poirot performances. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Cap'n Bob became prominent in 1984 when he purchased the Mirror Group Newspapers which he used as his own publicity machine and their pension fund as his own loot.

Maxwell also embellished his own personal history, a Czech born émigré who claimed to speak perfect English in a matter of weeks. Maxwell fought for the British army and later became a Labour MP.

David Suchet when he is not playing ace sleuth Poirot has a fondness for playing real life, over the top personalities with a dark even a malevolent streak.

Here he plays a slightly trim Maxwell. Its obvious Suchet has skipped a strict KFC only diet to play the obese Maxwell.

This Maxwell eats a lot. He also fights a losing battle with his girth as he uses plush towels to wipe himself at the toilet and having a testy relationship with his wife.

At the office he quietly but ruthlessly humiliates his own son in the boardroom before showing him how to negotiate down the price of newsprint.

However spiralling debt would lead to Maxwell's demise as he strived to become a global player and be a rival to Rupert Murdoch.

It was noticeable that on the day he died, the then editor of the Independent Newspaper, Andreas Whittam Smith was the first person to state that the Mirror Group as well as the other Maxwell companies will be broken up as they were heavily in debt.

Here we see a Maxwell hurtling towards disaster, running out of options, and becoming paranoid. A ruthless crook raiding his staff pension funds.

Suchet plays to Maxwell's contradictions. He wants to be part of the establishment but it does not want him.

Maxwell, the man of the people doing so much for charity but then with a banker, urinating from the side of his skyscraper on to the people on the street below.

Suchet does not want to portray Maxwell as a pantomime villain as he had a rough charm with his cynicism.