Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey indulge in an emotional thriller, leaving you to linger long past the credits. Even though Craig plays a visually traditional masculine character, he interestingly rejects his predominant background of James Bond for a thrillingly lonely and self-harming romantic. The psychotic lust for admiration of Lee (Craig) and Eugene's (Starkey) sophisticated, emotionally restrained presence create a unique watch.
Even if you've never seen Craig in Bond or Starkey in Outer Banks, their chemistry and individual performances transcend their reputations. Together, they create a story of universal longing and human vulnerability, reflecting on all aspects of living.
The prevalent style of Luca Guadagnino has never been clearer. This film ruthlessly flirts with your emotions and perceptions past the title. Without reducing the complexity of queerness to cliché, Guadagnino explores individuality, repression and unrequited love.
What the film unravels is that being Queer does not make you one of many who live the same life, follow the same routine and hold the same beliefs. Queer dismantles the assumption and emphasises individuality. No matter your sexuality, you are an individual, and even if you are an ordinary individual, you play your unique role in life's intricate narrative.
The title Queer, without initial research, suggests a narrow focus. However, the grand skill of Guadagnito's direction broadens the universal exploration of longing, desire, and the human need for connection. Lee's craving for Eugene's love is portrayed with visceral intensity, mirroring the universal pain of wanting something more when it is hard or unattainable.
"We should be welcoming the mediocrity of the majority as a fact of life" - Guadagnino
This film serves as a reminder that society functions well, not just because of the few exceptional individuals but also because of the contributions of the majority who live ordinary lives. By appreciating this balance, we foster a more harmonious and realistic perspective on life.
The impact of the sound, cinematography, and characters paired with the dialogue and the lack of it provides a work that leaves you thinking for days after.
The film's technical mastery is undeniable. The circular 5-chapter narrative, beginning and ending in 1950s Mexico City while journeying through South America's jungles, plays with the viewers' expectations and prejudgements of a classic plotline. It is distinctive that even though the perspective is primarily focused on Lee, the interplay of dialogue- and its deliberate absence- stands Starkey out through the effect of the weight of his emotional control, creating both a seductive and haunting result.
The contrast between Lee's desperation and Eugene's quiet domination of the narrative highlights the common issue of having to settle for less due to the limited options queer men face. Deprived of true connection, Lee shows the tiredness of this lifestyle and tries to place his hope to escape loneliness onto Eugene – who does not accept this and ultimately moves on. The chaptered narrative reflects this – primarily following Lee and his emotional journey, the contrast of Eugene's sophistication highlights how Lee is simply a chapter for Eugene. A powerful yet subtle commentary on the temporality of relationships.
Queer puts conventional expectations and societal roles into a blender and portrays something you have not seen before
Criticism that the film lacks psychological depth misses the point. It is not necessary.
The Queer is used as a whole, and this film encapsulates the existential struggles of queer men. The search for an internal connection from Lee to Eugene is such a thorough psychological exploration (a literal trip for telepathy) that the significance of it being a singular chapter makes it even more predominant. With all the symbols, metaphors, and sound use to evoke this, this film effectively covers what it needs to.
This is the beauty of Guadagnino - he portrays the ordinary with the complexities and uniqueness of his characters. He connects everyone under an even more complicated title, underscoring the difficulties but simplicities of ordinary life and the small things that make it what it is. He makes the ugly beautiful, the simple complicated and places the viewer at the forefront.
Guadagnino crafts a film that is both haunting and relatable. It reminds us that the beauty of life lies not only in grand gestures or exceptional individuals but in the quiet struggles and connections that define our humanity.
Conclusion:
This film is not for all. It resists easy interpretation, so if you are not ready, you will not be able to give it justice. Queer puts conventional expectations and societal roles into a blender and portrays something you have not seen before. The effect one may take from unrequited love is either a simple chapter from the experience or your whole existence and this film beautifully reflects that.
It understands, hears, provides what you want, and sometimes pleases you. Yet it rejects and leaves you full of blissfully antagonising memories, leaving you to ponder for days. Watch this flirtatiously dramatic thriller with care, as it may be more than a chapter in your life.