I believe the music options are a nod to when the novel was published in the late 80s. For me the music and score was a highlight but I can see why it would be divisive.
Queer is brilliant. I've seen it twice. I love it for what is said and for what is not said. It's a powerful film translation of William S. Burroughs novella.
I saw it the day it opened. The more I think about it the more I like it. Classy cinematography and art direction. I loved the performances of Craig and Lesley Manville. I don't listen to popular music, so I didn't know that it was anachronistic, so it didn't bother me. I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to see it again and I'm sure I will eventually. I'd love to see the original version before the cuts. It's a movie that has haunted me ever since I saw it and I've seen about a dozen movies since then, but I keep coming back to this one.
despite feeling depressed after seeing this one 💀 it was great! loved your thoughts on this. it’s a gorgeous film visually, definitely need to see it again also, new here! have you guys reviewed passages by ira sachs? random thought i had watching this vid, but it’s one of my favorites from last year. completely different! but another gorgeous film revolved around a bleak queer love story 😪
I have seen it twice and really fell in love with it the second time around. I loved the Nirvana needle drop really gave the scene a post grunge -punk feel, which for me worked in the context with William S. Burroughs (plus Cobain was a big fan) Daniel Craig gives a master class in acting. I found it sad in the fact that Allerton did not equal up intellectually with William Lee and because of his desperation of wanting to find someone to connect with he's sort of in my opinion settled for Less intellectually though I feel as though allerton's character grew to have very strong feelings for him and he just couldn't handle it whether it was because he wasn't ready to accept his homosexuality or just having more than friendship feelings for another male nevertheless I found this film haunting intriguing and definitely will be watching it again would love to see the uncut version
Great review. Agreed with your sentiments on the film. It just didn’t quite come together for me in the end, even thought I liked individual aspects (Craig’s performance, the imaginations/dreams, the cinematography, the production design, etc.). Unfortunately, I think Luca is at his best when he sticks to more realist filmmaking, such as Call Me By Your Name, Challengers, and A Bigger Splash. Unlike someone like Lynch, I don’t think Luca has quite figured out how to integrate the surreal into his films in a cohesive way. It’s like he needed the chapter title cards to clearly delineate each increasing step into the dreamworld. I can’t quite put my finger on what didn’t work (except for the horrendous Come As You Are needledrop that completely sucked me out of the film). We don’t really learn much about or feel for Gene (Starkey), but I think that’s the point. Lee (Craig) is a very lonely man who will go to any length to find some deeper connection with people, but ultimately will never succeed. He is a self-loathing, sad person who rightly blames himself for many of his problems. After reading more about William S Burroughs’s life, the film makes much more sense.
All great points as always! Even though I usually discourage autobiographical interpretations, you are right though that knowing the mythos of Burroughs unlocks a lot about the film. I wonder if the film is more an ode to the man rather than its own singular piece of art 🤷♂️
Interesting takes on the movie. I think it's a bit deeper and there is more continuity than you seemed to perceive. I think this is an excellent movie in so many ways. It is well written, the acting (especially Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey) is superb. The cinematography and music are phenomenal. It definitely represents the lives and the psychology of gay men at two very different stages of self-acceptance in the early '50s. So, why is it so divisive? Why do some love it and some hate it? I think it has to do with a few things. First, there are people who are homophobes and hate queer movies. Not sure why they went (LOL--yes, I am pretty sure, at least). Second, it has a lot of metaphors in it. People's brains tend to be dichotomous as to whether they are linear thinkers and like movies in which everything is spelled out for them OR they are less concrete and more associative thinkers and like the many interpretations of metaphors. Of course, it's really a continuum, but these are the extremes. People at the first extreme (more concrete thinkers) would hate this movie and not understand its true meaning. Those at the other extreme probably would love it. As you say, it's the story of a gay man in middle-age (former military) who lives in Mexico. He's a drug addict, which likely represents the misery he experiences as a gay man in the '50s. He says he's in Mexico because his drug habit would get him imprisoned in the U.S. Remember, though, this was the era of McCarthyism, and his homosexuality also may have gotten him imprisoned--as a "communist"). So, he lives in Mexico and is seeking a meaningful gay relationship. Unfortunately, all he finds is superficial hook-ups. He sees and becomes infatuated with Eugene, a younger man who is struggling with his queer identity and is unable to accept it. Yet, he is drawn to Lee, the older man. This sets the stage for what is to occur. The part that I think really confuses people and is off-putting for them is Chapter 3 with the telepathy augmenting drug in South America. This is the metaphor for the struggle that Eugene is going through, knowing that he is attracted to men, specifically Lee, and denying his own homosexuality. Lee "hears" the thoughts of Eugene during their drug intoxication, "I AM NOT QUEER!" Ultimately, Eugene runs away in an effort to escape his sexuality. And Lee lives on alone, lonely, and grieving over the loss of Eugene, and dies a miserable death. Whie the movie has a hit of romance; it really is a tragedy of two gay men who are at very different stages of their lives and unable to connect in the early '50s. That is my assessment of the movie.
I believe the music options are a nod to when the novel was published in the late 80s. For me the music and score was a highlight but I can see why it would be divisive.
Queer is brilliant. I've seen it twice. I love it for what is said and for what is not said. It's a powerful film translation of William S. Burroughs novella.
I saw it the day it opened. The more I think about it the more I like it. Classy cinematography and art direction. I loved the performances of Craig and Lesley Manville. I don't listen to popular music, so I didn't know that it was anachronistic, so it didn't bother me. I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to see it again and I'm sure I will eventually. I'd love to see the original version before the cuts. It's a movie that has haunted me ever since I saw it and I've seen about a dozen movies since then, but I keep coming back to this one.
It's magnificent. so much yearning packed into it. So much longing. Daniel Craig is unsparing is superb. I prefer this to Challengers by a lot.
despite feeling depressed after seeing this one 💀 it was great! loved your thoughts on this. it’s a gorgeous film visually, definitely need to see it again
also, new here! have you guys reviewed passages by ira sachs? random thought i had watching this vid, but it’s one of my favorites from last year. completely different! but another gorgeous film revolved around a bleak queer love story 😪
Hi and welcome! We did not review passages but we did talk about it for awhile in our best films of 2023 video
I have seen it twice and really fell in love with it the second time around. I loved the Nirvana needle drop really gave the scene a post grunge -punk feel, which for me worked in the context with William S. Burroughs (plus Cobain was a big fan) Daniel Craig gives a master class in acting. I found it sad in the fact that Allerton did not equal up intellectually with William Lee and because of his desperation of wanting to find someone to connect with he's sort of in my opinion settled for Less intellectually though I feel as though allerton's character grew to have very strong feelings for him and he just couldn't handle it whether it was because he wasn't ready to accept his homosexuality or just having more than friendship feelings for another male nevertheless I found this film haunting intriguing and definitely will be watching it again would love to see the uncut version
I love this movie. Ive seen it 3 times already.
Great review. Agreed with your sentiments on the film. It just didn’t quite come together for me in the end, even thought I liked individual aspects (Craig’s performance, the imaginations/dreams, the cinematography, the production design, etc.). Unfortunately, I think Luca is at his best when he sticks to more realist filmmaking, such as Call Me By Your Name, Challengers, and A Bigger Splash. Unlike someone like Lynch, I don’t think Luca has quite figured out how to integrate the surreal into his films in a cohesive way. It’s like he needed the chapter title cards to clearly delineate each increasing step into the dreamworld.
I can’t quite put my finger on what didn’t work (except for the horrendous Come As You Are needledrop that completely sucked me out of the film). We don’t really learn much about or feel for Gene (Starkey), but I think that’s the point. Lee (Craig) is a very lonely man who will go to any length to find some deeper connection with people, but ultimately will never succeed. He is a self-loathing, sad person who rightly blames himself for many of his problems. After reading more about William S Burroughs’s life, the film makes much more sense.
All great points as always! Even though I usually discourage autobiographical interpretations, you are right though that knowing the mythos of Burroughs unlocks a lot about the film. I wonder if the film is more an ode to the man rather than its own singular piece of art 🤷♂️
Interesting takes on the movie. I think it's a bit deeper and there is more continuity than you seemed to perceive. I think this is an excellent movie in so many ways. It is well written, the acting (especially Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey) is superb. The cinematography and music are phenomenal. It definitely represents the lives and the psychology of gay men at two very different stages of self-acceptance in the early '50s. So, why is it so divisive? Why do some love it and some hate it? I think it has to do with a few things. First, there are people who are homophobes and hate queer movies. Not sure why they went (LOL--yes, I am pretty sure, at least). Second, it has a lot of metaphors in it. People's brains tend to be dichotomous as to whether they are linear thinkers and like movies in which everything is spelled out for them OR they are less concrete and more associative thinkers and like the many interpretations of metaphors. Of course, it's really a continuum, but these are the extremes. People at the first extreme (more concrete thinkers) would hate this movie and not understand its true meaning. Those at the other extreme probably would love it. As you say, it's the story of a gay man in middle-age (former military) who lives in Mexico. He's a drug addict, which likely represents the misery he experiences as a gay man in the '50s. He says he's in Mexico because his drug habit would get him imprisoned in the U.S. Remember, though, this was the era of McCarthyism, and his homosexuality also may have gotten him imprisoned--as a "communist"). So, he lives in Mexico and is seeking a meaningful gay relationship. Unfortunately, all he finds is superficial hook-ups. He sees and becomes infatuated with Eugene, a younger man who is struggling with his queer identity and is unable to accept it. Yet, he is drawn to Lee, the older man. This sets the stage for what is to occur. The part that I think really confuses people and is off-putting for them is Chapter 3 with the telepathy augmenting drug in South America. This is the metaphor for the struggle that Eugene is going through, knowing that he is attracted to men, specifically Lee, and denying his own homosexuality. Lee "hears" the thoughts of Eugene during their drug intoxication, "I AM NOT QUEER!" Ultimately, Eugene runs away in an effort to escape his sexuality. And Lee lives on alone, lonely, and grieving over the loss of Eugene, and dies a miserable death. Whie the movie has a hit of romance; it really is a tragedy of two gay men who are at very different stages of their lives and unable to connect in the early '50s. That is my assessment of the movie.
This makes a lot of sense with the "love out of sync" observation that's getting quoted a lot.