Christopher and His Kind   Starring: Matt Smith and Lindsay Duncan ITV Studios Home Entertainment RRP: £19.99 3711534173 Certificate: 15 Available 21 March 2011

In 1928 Christopher Isherwood accepted an invitation from his friend W.H. Auden to spend some time in Berlin. In the twilight of pre-Nazi Berlin the city had become a mecca of hedonism and decadence which attracted Isherwood, who balked against his upper middle class English background. He found a society in meltdown living under the looming threat of the Nazi’s, but more than that, Isherwood found what he most wanted, boys...

Christopher and his Kind (2011 - 1 hr. 29 min 49 sec) is a historical drama, written by Kevin Elyot and directed by Geoffrey Sax (Doctor Who: The Movie, Tipping the Velvet), it represents an accurate account of Isherwood’s time in Berlin. For those who are unaware of Isherwood, he ploughed his experiences into his novels, which in turn were turned into plays; one particular play was taken by Bob Fosse and turned into the musical Cabaret.

One of the most contentious aspects of the film is the casting of Matt Smith as the overtly homosexual Isherwood, if only due to his connection to a current family show, personally I could care less and was more interested whether Smith could take such a demanding role and make it his own.

Smith as Isherwood is a revelation, and a bit worrying to Doctor Who fans, as he struts some very impressive acting chops, a million miles away from his portrayal as the Doctor.

When Isherwood travels to Berlin he meets Gerald Hamilton (Toby Jones) who suggests that Isherwood move into the same boarding house. Hamilton would become the inspiration for the character of Mr Norris (Mr Norris Changes Trains) and a young cabaret singer, Jean Ross (Imogen Poots) who would become the inspiration for Sally Bowles.

Isherwood takes up a post teaching English, but this is only to support his writing and his penchant for male prostitutes, for Isherwood this would seem to be a golden age, but the cancer of the Nazi party is already making itself felt.

Eventually Isherwood falls in love with Heinz (Douglas Booth) but the growing anti-gay sentiment and Heinz’s Nazi brother make their relationship impossible - Isherwood attempts to get Heinz out of Germany, but ultimately fails. His friend Wystan Auden (Pip Carter) captures his friend’s character when he accuses him of being ultimately selfish, to the point of an art form, even Isherwood sees that he is ever an outsider, finding it difficult to engage with others in a meaningful way.

Overall this is an impressive period drama about real events and people. Some do better than others, Jean Ross, certainly is much closer to the real character than that shown in Cabaret. The story says much about Isherwood, and although many of the characters have passed away I don’t think that many of them would disagree that Kevin Elyot has attempted to show them as they really were without giving in to any tabloid salaciousness.

Of course the real revelation is just how good Matt Smith is. Given its subject matter - it has a 15 age rating - this would not be suitable for a younger audience, I’m sure the image of the good Doctor engaging in loud and sweaty anal sex with Heinz would scar a few kids. For the rest of us we can sit back and enjoy an excellent period drama.

The disc is a bare bones affair, but the picture is pin sharp as befits a new show.

9

Charles Packer