Ian McKellen is marvelous and Michaela Coel is outstanding as his foil in "The Christophers," a whip-smart and deftly comic art world caper from shapeshifting director Steven Soderbergh.

McKellen plays Julian Sklar, a well-known British artist in his twilight years. He was once the toast of the art scene but he's now an old crank, having cheapened himself over the decades, especially while playing the "mean judge"-type on a televised "American Idol"-style reality competition called "Art Fight." He's now practically a shut-in, recording Cameo videos for his remaining fans from the comfort of his side-by-side twin London rowhouses.

Coel, an Emmy winner for "I May Destroy You," is Lori Butler, an art restorationist who is hired by Julian's nincompoop kids (Jessica Gunning and a perfectly cast James Corden) to become Julian's assistant, and secretly finish a series of his well-known paintings known as "The Christophers." They want to sell them to the highest bidder — maybe they already have — and the old man will be dead soon, they figure, so why not bilk him for every last penny his name is still worth?

Lori is conflicted at first about the forgery job, but upon meeting the egomaniacal Julian, she comes around to the job. But when Julian does a little digging into Lori, he learns a few key pointers from her past that she's been hesitant to share, and puts her on the spot.

There are many different ways "The Christophers" could go, and it consistently surprises at every turn, never veering into mawkish or sentimental territory. Life lessons are learned, but they're not the warm and fuzzy kind, nor are they cynical and detached. "The Christophers" unfolds as a story of two people, brought together by a particular set of circumstances, at different points in both their lives and their creative journeys.

Soderbergh directs from a lovely screenplay by Ed Solomon — the pair also teamed on HBO's "Mosaic" and "Full Circle," and on 2021's "No Sudden Move" — which is layered and honest and insightful about human dynamics, artistic expression, selling out, legacy, spite, and ego, just to name a few of the spaces into which it wades. And what could easily turn saccharine never does.

Soderbergh, who continues to be our most prolific and unpredictable filmmaker, digs his fingers into this character study with typical curiosity and confidence. He gets ace performances from his cast, especially McKellen, who would be in the Oscar conversation if this were being released during awards season. He and Coel make magic together in this sharp, funny, astute comedy that never stops turning up new surprises. It's a real work of art.

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'THE CHRISTOPHERS'

Grade: A-

MPA rating: R (for language)

Running time: 1:40

How to watch: In wide release April 17

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