The remarkable tale at the center of
Chris & Don opens on a Malibu beach 50 years ago, when British writer Christopher Isherwood (his
Berlin Stories inspired the Broadway musical
Cabaret) met Santa Monica painter Don Bachardy, beginning a May-December romance that wound up lasting three decades.
Chris & Don isn't just an intimate look at an unconventional affair, it's a poignant portrayal of the sexual politics and struggles with identity that test every couple. The "other person" in their relationship is art, and both partners have flings — as Isherwood's writing career soars, Bachardy experiences a breakthrough with his painting that leads him to step out from the shadow of his famous lover.
– Julian Hooper
