32/13
I’m not weird
Story
In 1950s Mexico City, a forty-something American ex-pat lives a lonely life in the midst of a small American community. However, the arrival of a young student causes him to finally make a meaningful connection with someone. Daniel Craig was ultimately the one who cast Luca Guadagnino as Drew Starkey after watching audition tapes with Guadagnino and telling him "That's the guy" upon seeing Starkey. [via telepathy] Eugene Allerton: I’m not weird. Lee… William Lee: I know.
Eugene Allerton: I’m disembodied
Features Orpheus (1950). Greetings from the Darkness Again. Some filmmakers have earned the benefit of the doubt to the point that every film they release is worth considering. Luca Guadagnino is one such filmmaker. He first caught my attention with I AM LOVE (2009) and has since followed it up with such interesting films as A BIGGER SPLASH (2015), CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017), SUSPIRIA (2018), BONES AND ALL (2022), and CHALLENGERS, his first feature film due out in 2024. This time, he and his CHALLENGERS screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes take on the 1985 William S Burroughs short story «Queer,» which was combined with his 1953 novel «Junkie.» Getting started with William S Burroughs’ writing is challenging enough as a reader, let alone a filmmaker.
Daniel Craig plays William Lee
If you’re familiar with Burroughs’ writing, you’ll know that William Lee’s character shares many of the same personal characteristics as Burroughs himself. He’s a gay man who drinks too much, uses hard drugs, and is quite sexually liberal. The film begins with Chapter 1: What Do You Like About Mexico? Lee spends his time drinking nonstop and contemplating his next roll in the proverbial hay. He has a few ex-pat buddies, including Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman), but it’s the cool cat that catches his eye. Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) is a young ex-soldier, and Lee quickly becomes smitten.
#39long struggle with loneliness comes out most clearly
They spend time together, although Lee is never sure if Eugene is gay or not, as he spends much of his time playing chess with another bar patron, Maria (Andra Ursula). One passionate night between Lee and Eugene leads to Chapter 2: Traveling Companions. The two men travel to South America as their awkward relationship (and agreement) leads to more alcohol. Chapter 3: The Botanist in the Jungle is certainly one of the strangest parts of this year’s film, as the men trek deep into the jungle to connect with a doctor who has been studying “vegetation”; which might solve Lee’s fascination/obsession with telepathy. There’s no working description for this segment, but thanks to anyone who recognizes Leslie Manville – the one with the pet raccoon and keeps a viper for home security. The epilogue picks up two years later, and Lee is here.
Opens in theaters December 6, 2024
Her time with Eugene provides a home for a real, lasting relationship with something other than a bottle of tequila or a heroin needle. Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey are both excellent here, and each could win awards. If your previous case of Mr. Craig is through the James Bond films, this role might seem a bit surprising, but those who have followed his career will know.