14/28
In 1950s Mexico City, an American immigrant in his 50s lives a lonely life amidst a small American community. However, the arrival of a young student causes the man to finally make a meaningful connection with someone. Daniel Craig was the one who finally convinced Luca Guadagnino to cast Drew Starkey after watching audition tapes with Guadagnino and telling him โThatโs the guyโ after seeing Starkey. William Lee: Sit Down! Or Whatโs Left of Her After Four Years in the Navy. Featured on The Graham Norton Show: Daniel Craig/Nicola Coughlan/Jesse Eisenberg/Kieran Culkin/Flo (2024). Iโve never seen โNaked Lunchโ (1991), but I found myself thinking about it often during the screening of โQueerโ at the 2024 London Film Festival: It was probably expected, since William S Burroughs provided the source material for both films. In 1950s Mexico, William Lee, an American writer in his late 40s? Fifties? spends his days getting drunk, shooting up, and having casual sex with other men. One day, young, muscular, intelligent Eugene walks into the bar and Lee falls for him. But what does Eugene himself want? Plus, there’s that telepathic drug of thought… I’m not sure what, stylistically, director Luca Guadagnino is trying to accomplish with this film. The sets are almost exclusively done in solid colors (dull reds and olive greens, for example) and have that clean, vaguely unreal Technicolor look that made me think they were meant to pay homage to the films of the era in which the film is set. But if that’s the case, why isn’t the soundtrack 1950s rock or techno? Daniel Craig (is it my imagination or is he starting to sound like Sid James?) is limited in the lead role by constantly having to spout off nonsensical speeches in an accent that is clearly not his own. Drew Starkey manages to give a more subtle performance as the manipulative Eugene, and certainly seems like a good actor. Lesley Manville is unrecognisable as a doctor living in the South American jungle โ kudos to the make-up team! This is the kind of film that strikes me as being more about artistic style than narrative substance. It was fine to watch once, but I wonโt be watching it again.