Chris & Don. A Love Story
Metascore
81 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    75
    You wind up caring deeply about the affair that began in the 1950s between American teenager Don Bachardy and three-decades-older Christopher Isherwood, the noted British author whose "Berlin Stories" inspired "Cabaret."
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    83
    Their love story was inevitably complicated. And so is the documentary Chris & Don: A Love Story -- not simply a love letter to love -- by Guido Santi and Tina Mascara.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    90
    The elegantly structured documentary weaves extensive footage of Mr. Bachardy rummaging through their house and reminiscing with readings from Isherwood's diaries by Michael York, old interviews with Isherwood, home movies of their travels and glamorous social life, and commentary by friends, including Leslie Caron and the British filmmaker John Boorman.
  4. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    63
    As loving and welcome as Chris & Don is, it's not well enough conceived to create equilibrium among its many parts.
  5. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    70
    Becomes more engrossing as its focus shifts from Isherwood to Bachardy, who began as the bashful boy toy of a famous author but gradually emerged in his own right as a portrait artist of striking (and merciless) insight.
  6. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    75
    In part, the documentary answers the question of why some couples flourish and others flounder.
  7. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    75
    An affecting and beautifully realized documentary.
  8. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    90
    Even a klutz could hardly make a bad movie about these compelling figures. Thankfully though, Guido Santi and Tina Mascara are superb filmmakers, fully alive in their terrific film Chris & Don: A Love Story to all the undercurrents of art, social class, sexual orientation, challenging relationships and, most especially, the touching love story at the heart of their film.
  9. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    100
    A celebration -- of love, commitment and devotion until the bitter end. Gay and straight viewers alike are sure to be inspired by this lyrical testament to a corollary of Tolstoy's famous dictum: Every unhappy family might be unhappy in its own way, but every genuinely happy family is a triumph.
  10. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    83
    Describing the early stages of their sexual attraction, Bachardy sums up the whole outrageously fortunate arc of his life. "It was exactly what the boy wanted," Bachardy says. "And he flourished."
  11. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    90
    Chris & Don is the rarest of documentaries: a realistic portrait of the human spirit.
  12. Newsweek
    Reviewed by: David Ansen
    80
    Intimate, moving and playful.
  13. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Kimberley Jones
    67
    It closes the film in what I suspect was intended as something of a happy ending, but it’s unnecessary: Thirty happy years should be happy ending enough.
  14. Variety
    Reviewed by: Robert Koehler
    80
    Made with gentle grace and sensitivity.
  15. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Chuck Wilson
    80
    To describe the novelist's final days, Bachardy opens a drawer and begins pulling out the magnificent deathbed drawings he did of Isherwood -- a fusion of art and love that's deeply moving.
  16. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    100
    This is the portrait of a marriage as full and enviable as the greatest unions in literature.
  17. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Sid Smith
    88
    A fascinating documentary, one much better than its rather flat and unimaginative title.
  18. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Ernest Hardy
    90
    With his elegant cadence, crisp comedic timing, and witty flipping of homophobic stereotypes--in his very choice and use of language--Bachardy is that story come to life: the student who eventually mirrored his teacher, the molded who became a duplicate of the mold.
  19. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Abele
    80
    Though drawn together by the thrill of infatuation, fostered by Isherwood's penchant for emergent male youth and Bachardy's awe of fame and glitz, the pair developed a durable love strengthened by nurturing and patience. In recounting this journey, directors Guido Santi and Tina Mascara make rich use of the couple's glamorous home movies.

User Reviews

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User Score
9.0 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. AdiZ
    10
    I watched it 3 times and could not get over how charming Don was-even in his 70ties he was so alive and articulate about his experiences with Chris- I loved their home and how organized Don was, and the artistic charm of the whole movie. Tried to find out what don is doing now,there was nothing about him on the enternet...disappointing.… Full Review »
  2. Craig
    2
    The film was well done, but the whole time it kept reminding me that this wasn't a touching love story, but a story of one man taking advantage of a young man who was almost a boy. It left me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.… Full Review »
  3. MarkH.
    10
    Excellent work, both interesting and touching, yet humorous and compelling in its treatment of a very delicate subject. I hope to see future projects by Guido Santi and Tina Mascara - they are true filmmaking artists. With their talents, they should not be limited to documentaries and I hope to one day see how they apply their sensitivities and creativity to a full length feature film.… Full Review »
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