While we're on the subject of inclusivity and representation...I saw Queer last night. Definitely the best A24 film this year (so far). Luca Guadagnino takes a famous work of beat literature and makes it into his own, unique, stunning vision while still staying true (enough) to the core of the novel. It tells an unconventional love story about desire, longing, lust, and the human need for connection. The creative team behind Challengers made Queer, and you can tell (musicians Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor, cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, editor Marco Costa, writer Justin Kuritzkes, and director Luca Guadagnino) . This film is undeniably of a high quality, even if it does lose the plot at times or meander a good deal (both issues the novel suffers from as well).
Daniel Craig is at what might be his absolute best. He is on a level I’ve never seen him at before. He physically looks like William S. Burroughs (whom Lee, our lead, is a stand-in for) and he performs Burrough’s dialogue to absolute perfection. Craig imbues his performance with a deep, hidden, persistent pain that is palpable. There is a good deal of male nudity and male sex throughout (all handled tastefully and with style), so if that kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, it might be best to sit this one out.
Queer is not a perfect movie. Much like it’s source material, it is flawed. Also like it’s source material, there is much beauty here despite the flaws. Queer easily emerges as it's own weird, proudly queer thing.
4.5 STARS