February 16, 2025

QUEER (2024) – A Visually Stunning Yet Inaccessible Arthouse Journey

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Rating: ⭐⭐

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Daniel Craig assumes the role of an aging gay man residing in Mexico City during the 1950s in the latest directorial endeavor by Luca Guadagnino. Guadagnino, renowned for his previous works such as Challengers and Call Me By Your Name, brings a distinct arthouse style to his films. While this style can sometimes render his films less accessible to mainstream audiences, as evidenced by Bone and All and Suspiria, I feel he excels when he opts for a more straightforward storytelling approach, as showcased in Challengers.

Regrettably, Queer follows an arthouse trajectory. The narrative primarily revolves around the endeavors of the protagonist, William Lee, portrayed by Craig, as he attempts to court a young expatriate soldier he encounters in Mexico. The film progresses through various scenes of William frequenting bars and attempting to woo his young love interest, Eugene. The final act and epilogue are particularly disconcerting as the story transitions to the jungles of South America, where William and Eugene seek a hallucinogenic substance found in an exotic plant. This segment of the film becomes quite incomprehensible, with the acid trips depicted as bizarre and bewildering scenes. These scenes are ostensibly metaphors for deeper meanings intended for a more discerning audience, but to the uninitiated, they merely come across as perplexing. This does not provide the satisfying closure one might hope for after enduring over two hours of William Lee’s escapades.

On a positive note, the film offers certain merits that may appeal to the general movie enthusiast. Guadagnino has meticulously crafted the sets and cinematography to create a stunningly authentic  portrayal of 1950s Mexico City. The attention to detail and aesthetic quality in the initial part of the film is remarkable, with each frame seemingly telling its own story. This may well be Guadagnino’s most visually impressive film to date. Daniel Craig delivers an outstanding performance, fully embracing the direction and style demanded of him. It is a bold portrayal, far removed from the roles he is typically associated with. Unfortunately, his performance is not equally matched by his co-star, Drew Starkey, who portrays Eugene. Starkey’s performance is somewhat forgettable. His portrayal of Eugene comes across as listless and charmless, raising questions about what Craig’s character finds appealing in him to warrant the lengths taken to seek his affection.

Queer, despite its provocative title, is not a mere exploration of homoerotic themes. Rather, it is a tragic tale of a lonely man, who happens to be gay, in pursuit of an unattainable dream. Under Guadagnino’s direction, this fundamental theme is imbued with an excessive arthouse sensibility, rendering it inaccessible to a general audience and leaving only the most discerning critics to lay claims to appreciation its artistic nuances.

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