Chris & Don: A Love Story

Directors Guido Santi and Tina Mascara's Chris & Don doesn't just depict author Christopher Isherwood's relationship with artist Don Bachardy—a man 30 years his junior—but also gives equal time to the writer's lesser known, but equally engaging paramour. The British-born Isherwood (Berlin Stories) may have been initially attracted to the Malibu-based Bachardy's youthful good looks, but their relationship obviously developed into something much deeper, running three decades until Isherwood's death in 1986. Furthermore, the men lived openly as a gay couple, even though they first met in the famously closeted 1950s. Bachardy didn't always feel like an equal in the eyes of Isherwood's famous friends—including Truman Capote, Joan Crawford, and Montgomery Clift—but Isherwood continuously gave him encouragement and support in pursuing his own passions. Bachardy tried his hand at acting before hitting his stride with painting and drawing (towards the end of Isherwood's life, Bachardy was sketching him exclusively). Combining archival footage, interviews, and readings by Michael York (who starred in the Isherwood-inspired Cabaret), Chris & Don is an affectionate portrait touching on art, love, and mortality. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include the couple's home movies, extended interviews with director John Boorman, actresses Leslie Caron and Gloria Stuart, and Bachardy (who shares his thoughts about gay marriage and California's art scene), and an accompanying booklet. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a winning documentary.] (K. Fennessy)