Release Date – 15th December 2024, Cert – 18, Run-time – 2 hours 15 minutes, Director – Luca Guadagnino
William Lee (Daniel Craig) spends his days wandering around Mexico City, slitting between searches for love, hook-ups and the answers to the universe – the key to all of these may be held by younger man Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey).
Much like the relationship between Daniel Craig’s William Lee and younger man Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) there are two distinct sides to Queer. The first constructs the opening half; a woozy stroll where the air runs thick with sensuality. As William’s knowingly awkward flirtations turn into a set of flings, and potentially more, with Eugene – who for all he knows could be straight, or bi – the technical elements walk harmoniously hand-in-hand. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom’s hazy cinematography highlights the meticulous production design of the 1950s Mexico City streets which Craig’s character wanders through looking for hook-ups and insight into the universe. Luca Guadagnino’s direction is at his most beautiful as his camera glides, assisted by Reznor and Ross’ fantastic score – and a cracking soundtrack to boot – through a character study of a man trying to find more meaning in his life, and the universe it sits in, through a tentative relationship.
The search for the universe’s answers comes in the form of a fascination with telepathy. Leading William and Eugene on a trip further into South America. Their relationship takes a new form as the younger man, whose sexuality is never fully certain to the man chasing after him, pushes away advances towards him, sending mixed messages about how he views William. As this strand, and the trip, grows, eventually constructing the film’s entire third and final chapter, Queer becomes something very different. Lacking the thick air of passion from beforehand as much of the events begin to unfold in the jungle a much more narrative style comes through. One which has a strong ‘based on a book’ feeling – Justin Kuritzkes’ screenplay is adapted from William S Burroughs’ novella of the same name.
Craig continues to be on top form of an excellent performance. Early on he delivers a monologue about how he realised he was gay, as the conversation continues he pitches himself as a smart, flirtatious character looking for the missing pieces to a still jumbled puzzle. Starkey effectively compliments this with just as much physical flirtation as there is verbal from Craig, yet confliction as to how he really feels about the relationship. As ideas of telepathy are delved into more and a much more mystical set of themes come through the relationship itself deviates alongside the narrative becoming more of a peculiar set of events.
Dialogue which once dealt tenderly with conversations about emotions and trying to find a place in the world become more infrequent in exchange for a trippy, and likely divisive, set of sequences which push the run-time with more experimental style which feels less personal and connected than the prior character study. For some the turn may work and bring further meaning to the ideas presented by the film, for others, myself included, it may come across as a downward slope once entered. I felt myself wishing that pretty much the extensive third act, and some parts before it, was shorter or could simply take things back to the intoxicating heats of Mexico City.
Starting off as a beautifully intoxicating tale of looking for connection, Daniel Craig’s excellent performance remains consistent during the downward slope of the bulk of the second half which becomes a much more different, fantastical film.
Just A Little Bit Random 