Queer - Movie Review

Critically situated in the colourful yet lonely grounds of Mexico City during the 1950s ‘Queer focuses on William Lee an American expatriate surrounded by a small group of Americans struggling with the feeling of loneliness. William’s prosaic life becomes profoundly changed when he meets Eugene Allerton, an American young man who helps him recall what he has never felt – passion. A symbol of their beginning love is shown in the arcs of addiction, passion, and emptiness within the view of human connection. The narrative effectively reflects the vibrant exterior of Mexico City and the inner loneliness and despair in William’s heart ‘Queer’ is a poignant analysis of loneliness, compulsive behavior and the per as well as the search for companionship, set against the historical period of the 1950’s in Mexico City. Although silent and sad, the movie seems to suggest that life is worth living. This film wonderfully captures the external noise and the inner emptines of the main character. What mainly impressed with the film is the ‘ older man younger man relationship’ depicted in the movie, and raw depiction of physical affection and exposure are vibrant and leave a deep impression. The use of themes from William S. Burroughs’ works reinforces the plot and brings more dimensions of the story.

Daniel Craig also perfectly portrays William Lee as a tormented man that feels much without showing it on his face. How he captures loneliness and complication is compelling, and makes one focus on William’s life. Eugene Allerton is played by Drew Starkey who also fits the energy of the character with feeling both new and complex while not overshadowing Craig’s performance. Craig and Starkey especially have good on-screen chemistry making it easier to buy into the uniqueness of the main focus of the film, the connection. Some of the other stars that include Jason Schwartzman and Henrique Zaga also provide ensemble to this intense drama. His directional style in ‘Queer’ is quite complex yet aesthetic oriented which shows his realistic approach towards emotions and interpersonal relationships. The director Guadagnino is remarkable to convey the busy but lonely setting of Mexico City which enriches the movie with beautiful contrast between the exterior and the interior of the character. He addresses such topics with contemplation and underscored emotion, which adds to reason he is widely beloved as the storyteller through images.

Shooting the music, the score underlines the tragedies of the minimalistic plot, deepening the emotional impact. The music fits perfectly with the setting and reflects the general impression of the historical time frame of the series and the main characters’ secret interactions. They travel within a scene as if, when dealing with scenes of intimacy and trust, give them an extra element of music added feeling. The music chosen emphasizes the time period yet has some modern twist to it which truly highlights the eternality of the movie’s message.

The cinematography in ‘Queer’ gives simply amazing emotions. Every single frame is built, and designed, to depict the mechanical Mexico City and the loneliness that is inherent in personal homes. The warm, and hued tones give the films a nostalgic feel while the muted color palettes give the audience a contemplative mood. This visual aspect works at adding further depth to the upgrading and the tooling of the acrid relations of the characters and the boisterous but detached liveliness of the Mexican milieu. Perspectives focus on the faces and feelings of the characters; they explore the main idea of loneliness and the pauses that define the people’s lives.

The setting is perfectly recreated, and the watchers get a chance to see the 1950s Mexico City. Much effort is paid to providing the immediate environment – streets, interiors, and public spaces – with a sense of life and movement. Garnish and décor directly echo multicultural essence and represent the characters’ inner world in a veil. This setting not only works perfectly as a socially realistic backdrop, but it becomes a character of its own, as far as the show addresses the dynamic, yet rather isolationist scenario of expat life.

In ‘Queer’, however, use of special effects is kept to an absolute minimum, allowing the focus to be put on the tragedy and multidimensional characters instead. They act as supporting characters when used, occasional in occurrence most preferably used merely to underline mood and tones and not as visual draws. Such conservative usage is appropriate for the film’s meditative and close-up approach to storytelling while maintaining the viewers’ attention on the characters and their performers.

Cutting in ‘Queer’ looks satisfactory; they hit the right notes of pacing and pathos. The decisions of an editor initiating changes establish a rhythm, and by increasing the levels of tension and emotional elements throughout the story in reasonable increments the audience will not feel overwhelmed by maximum emotions at a particular scene. One observes smooth movement from one scene to the other, there are also montage sequences in the film that depicts a timeline and the music used matches with the sequences that are on screen. The cut and trim also add to the machinations of the visuals and the emotions conveyed in ‘Queer’. It enables detailed characters’ growth and careful viewers’ calm diving into the obscurity of themes and plot. Some of the viewers may found the plot to be slow, but slow-burning coming-of-age drama appeals to those viewers who enjoy the gradual character development and authenticity of the script, its dialogues. Interactions are remarkably audible, sincere and profound, one learns more with what is left unsaid than with what is said. Combination of dialogue and visuals provides great emotional experience, as the most facets of the characters’ personalities and their interactions are revealed to the viewer. This subtle approach of conveying complicated feelings without going through the message directly is a great gain of the script.

Thus, although a viewer might find ‘Queer’ very engaging in many aspects, it might be too slow for some, which may lead to losing its intensity if a spectator is used to raider narratives. Furthermore, the storyline used in the movie requires the audience to be smart enough to understand the twists that are evident in the film. Some of them may appear weak for the understanding of basic storylines and clear happy endings or dramatic finales. Those who are into character studies with emphasis on theme and atmosphere will find ‘Queer’ as a powerful emotionally resonant film. It makes the viewer thoughtful, and asks them questions about interpersonal interaction and isolation. The outstanding performances, beautiful locations and profound approach to the feel destination of the movie make ‘Queer’ not only a movie but the quest and essence of love and loneliness. It remains, and this often makes the possibilities especially special for those who love complex and rich stories.