CHRISTOPHER AND HIS KIND
Directed by: Geoffrey Sax
Written by: Kevin Elyot, based on the memoir by Christopher Isherwood
Starring: Matt Smith, Imogen Poots, Lindsay Duncan, Toby Jones, and Pip Carter.
Based on the autobiography by Christopher Isherwood, CHRISTOPHER AND HIS KIND CHRONICLES Isherwood’s life in pre-WWII Berlin and the newfound freedom he found in being able to express his homosexuality for the first time. From this experience, Isherwood would find the inspirations for the character and short story Sally Bowles (which eventually lead to the play and film CABARET) as well as “Mr Norris Changes Trains”.
Matt Smith, best known as the current incarnation of The Doctor on DOCTOR WHO, plays Isherwood, and its wonderful to see him dial back the manic energy and broad comedy of The Doctor to the naive and initially repressed Isherwood. From there, Smith blossoms as Isherwood does, relishing his experiences with rent boys and in the dimly lit bars of Berlin.
The film captures the slow, hot summers of Berlin before it was ravaged by the war. The camera often moves slowly over the gorgeous boys that seem to populate the entire city. The shots linger on the muscles, soft skin, and nether-regions of boys in bars, street sweepers, and toweling off after a swim. Not that I mind, but was Berlin populated entirely by male models in the 1930s? If so, I completely understand why it was the place to be.
Imogen Poots brings a more grounded though still energetic take on Jean Ross (the inspiration for Sally Bowles) and we see more of her heartache than her wild side, and I liked it a little better that way. Jean in this film is played a bit more tragically than Liza Minnelli played Sally Bowles, and while Christopher loves her dearly, we also get a feeling, especially toward the film’s end, that he feels sorry for her.
While Matt Smith is a great physical comedian, he’s doing the dramatic work here, but the film is actually much funnier than I expected it to be. Most of this comes from Lindsay Duncan (who Doctor Who fans will recognize as Adelaide Brooke from the “Waters of Mars” episode), who plays Isherwood’s mother, who is constantly undercutting him and trying to make him feel guilty for leaving her all alone in the house – in the driest and most sarcastic way possible, of course.
The one issue I had with the film was that in the second half, the jumps in time move much faster than in the first half, and it feels as though if CHRISTOPHER AND HIS KIND were a miniseries instead of just a film, I would have had a deeper understanding of the supporting characters and they wouldn’t have been just glossed over – Toby Jones’ character Gerald has some hilarious moments, but an actor of his caliber should be allowed to do more than make lacefront wig and S&M jokes.
If you’re a fan of gay literature, Doctor Who, or A SINGLE MAN (also based on an Isherwood novel), give CHRISTOPHER AND HIS KIND a shot. I’d follow it up with CHRIS AND DON:A LOVE STORY, a fantastic documentary about Isherwood’s relationship with his partner Don Bachardy, which picks up where this film leaves off.
3.5 out of 5
CHRISTOPHER AND HIS KIND had its North American premiere June 24th at the LA Film Festival. The film will be available on DVD on June 28th, and you can order it here.
