16/32
In 1950s Mexico City, an American immigrant in his early 40s lives a lonely life in a small American community. However, the arrival of a young student inspires the man to finally have a meaningful relationship with someone. It was Daniel Craig who finally convinced Luca Guadagnino to cast Drew Starkey after watching Guadagnino’s audition tapes and telling him "That's the type" after seeing Starkey… William Lee: Get on your ass! Or what’s left of him after four years in the Navy.. Starring on The Graham Norton Show: Daniel Craig/Nicola Coughlan/Jesse Eisenberg/Kieran Culkin/Flo (2024). I’ve never seen 'Naked Lunch' (1991), but I find myself thinking about it often during screenings of 'Queer' at the 2024 London Film Festival: this is probably to be expected, as the source material for both films was provided by William S Burroughs. In 1950s Mexico, William Lee, an American writer from the wrong side of the… forties? fifties? He spends his days getting drunk, shooting and having casual sex with other men. One day, a muscular, smart young man named Eugene walks into a bar and Lee is thrilled. But what does Eugene himself want? Plus, there’s that telepathic drug of contemplation… I’m not sure what director Luca Guadagnino is trying to achieve stylistically with this film. The scenes are decorated almost entirely in block colours – dull reds and olive greens, for example – and have that vaguely unrealistic, clean, technical look that makes me think the intention was to pay homage to the films of the era in which the film is set. . But if that’s the case, why the definitive rock and techno soundtrack that’s not from the 50s? Daniel Craig (is it my imagination or is he starting to sound like Sid James?) is hampered in the lead role by constantly having to recite nonsense in an accent that’s clearly not his. Drew Starkey gives a more subtle performance as the manipulative Eugene and is definitely elegant. Lesley Manville is unrecognizable as a doctor living in the South American jungle – well done to the makeup team! This is the kind of film that seems to me to be more about the art style than the content of the narrative. It was okay to see once, but I won’t be watching it again.