Derek Jacobi stars as Francis Bacon in this biographical drama about his complex relationship with his lover George Dyer. In 1971, artist Francis Bacon (Jacobi) is hailed as a genius at a retrospective of his work in Paris. Meanwhile, his younger gay lover George Dyer (Daniel Craig) lies dying from an overdose in their hotel room. Dyer reflects on how he first met Bacon, while attempting to burgle his house in 1964. The pair embarked on a troublesome affair, with Dyer working as Bacon's model, but the artist's emotional detachment, and his ever-present coterie of Soho bohemians, place a further strain on the relationship in conjunction with Dyer's dependence on drink and drugs.