Will the real Christopher please hang
From acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh, The Christophers is a sharp, darkly comic exploration of art, legacy and deception, led by Golden Globe winner Ian McKellen and Emmy winner Michaela Coel.
At its centre is Julian Sklar (McKellen), a well-known painter based in London, elderly and eccentric, now living in reclusion.
In the 1990s, he completed two series of paintings called ‘The Christophers’ based on his lover at the time; a third series of ‘Christophers’ remained unfinished, and he has not worked on them in years. His reputation has faded as he has aged. His unscrupulous children Barnaby and Sallie, hire Lori Butler (Coel), a young artist who is a skilled art restorer, who has not exhibited in years, to pose as his assistant to quietly complete the paintings in his distinctive style behind his back, blurring the line between preservation and imitation. They plan to sell the finished ‘Julian Sklar’ paintings for a fortune after his death.
What begins as an act of forgery gradually unfolds into something more intricate, as Julian and Lori enter a shifting battle of intellect and influence. As their dynamic deepens, questions of authorship, authenticity and ownership come to the fore, revealing the uneasy relationship between artistic creation and commercial value.
Wry, intimate and layered, The Christophers offers a fascinating meditation on how art is created, valued and ultimately claimed, where legacy is as contested as the work itself.
The Christophers is screening at Palace Cinemas – palacecinemas.com.au.
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