Queer is a movie by Luca Guadagnino and based on William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novella. The original story was written in 1985 but set in the 1950s and is about William Lee (Daniel Craig) an aging homosexual man who is addicted to drugs and alcohol. Living in Mexico City he hops from bar to bar and has casual sexual encounters with other men. He meets Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) and the two form an odd and in Allerton’s part distant relationship. The two embark on a journey into the jungle to find a plant based narcotic called yagė.
So, I’m in two minds about this film. One the positive, the acting performances by the cast are top notch. They are all believable and one gets a very palpable sense of each one and their various struggles. Craig in particular is quite magnetic and manages to create a character with vulnerability, obsession and emotional clinginess with finesse.
The film is well shot and has a very retro look and vibe while also maintaining an almost theatrical feel to it.
On the negative side is the actual story. The plot meanders and very slow and seems to spend too much time on scenes with little actual plot development.
The queer tropes in the film also feel very dated. Burroughs was homosexual and lived in a time of social oppression of homosexuality in America. The film reinforces the notion that was prevalent in filmic depictions of gay men at the time as drunkards and of very little emotional depth. Back then homosexuals were seen as degenerate and were either suicidal losers or killers.
Since the original story is said to be based on some of Burroughs experiences it would be wrong to say his story is somehow wrong, but in this film, the tragic loser trope feels a bit too overt and there is no real nuance in the obvious pain the William Lee feels.
QUEER
Starring: Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Lesley Manville
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Duration: 137 Minutes
Open in New Zealand 3rd April 2025
