Christopher And His Kind - 21st April 2011

Forgetting for a minute that the above date is an actual Thursday, (yes, yes, I know the title of the blog is; Tuesday Night is Film Night, but how can I explain an unexpected delivery of 17m² of turf for my garden, that needed to be laid regardless of the time of week? That's neither here nor there, but back to the point)!

This weeks' film was;

Christopher And His Kind.

Apparently based on the writer Christopher Isherwood’s critically acclaimed memoir, of the same name, Matt Smith (yes, the Matt Smith, now of Doctor Who fame, please forget this before watching this film, there is absolutely no relation whatsoever, even if you do hum the Doctor Who theme music at the start), stars as the writer Christopher Isherwood.

This film adaptation gives a; "fascinating glimpse into the decadent and politically unstable world of 1930s Berlin. A young, wide-eyed Christopher escapes repressive English society and arrives in Berlin at a time when the cabaret scene is in full swing. Launched into the thriving gay subculture, Christopher embarks on a seminal journey of self-discovery." (Description stolen from Amazon).

Yes, one couldn't cover this critically acclaimed memoir without delving into the then seedy and illegal underbelly of 'behind closed doors' homosexuality.

That part aside, not wishing to belittle the 1930's gay scene, the film is beautifully shot. Matt Smith and Imogen Poots are an absolute delight in this. Poots especially, as the sometimes down-at-luck cabaret singer; Jean Ross.

The 1930's backdrop, with the rising Nazi oppression, the impending war and the rise of Herr Hitler, provides a fascinating insight in to the time, being based, as they are, on the actual experiences of Christopher Isherwood.

The actual storyline behind the film, is not your bog standard "start, middle and end", it's a memoir, so follows a chronological timeline of events.

If you like 1930's history, Christopher and His Kind provides an entertaining and fascinating insight into that period.

A really well filmed period drama. (With strong language and scenes of a sexual nature).

I'll leave it for you to decide.