QUEER

QUEER

Directed by Luca Guadagnino

Something about the holidays that makes a tragic gay (or QUEER) story especially enticing. I'm still reeling from last Decembers somber "All of Us Strangers" and now I cannot stop thinking about "Queer", based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs.

Set in 1950s Mexico City, we follow American expat William (played by a never better Daniel Craig, free from James Bond) as he wanders around day in and day out. Boozing, using and lusting after young men he'll randomly hook up with. He becomes infatuated with a young discharged American Navy serviceman named Eugene (played by Drew Starkey, an actor new to me but someone to keep an eye on for sure). After awkward courting they begin a sort of physical relationship but I hesitate to call this a romance or even a real love story as many other critics and advertisements have claimed. 

What follows is a sad drug fueled look into a man's psyche as he desperately tries to hold on to something he thinks he has. Director Luca Guadagnino is on an unbelievable hot streak having just released the modern masterpiece "Challengers" this past April and brought along much of the same crew for "Queer" (most notably screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes and a gorgeous score by Trent/Atticus). There's a vibrancy to the music and colors and everything is a feast to look at especially during long stretches that feel meandering but I couldn't look away. 

The movie is a bit of a challenge, it bucks expectations and I found myself somewhat frustrated yet completely captivated. A wild third act set far in the jungle and a deeply moving deeply haunting deeply symbolic epilogue/ending really sealed this one for me. Luca is cooking on all levels and giving us truly exciting auteur cinema through a homosexual lens. Go see this one alone and reflect afterwards.

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 out of 4