Film No. 10 (2025) February 1st. 11.00 AM LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 1, Leederville.
"I was looking for meaning and depth and finished with dullness and self indulgence!" (The words of a film critic, who shall remain nameless, as she sought to sum up her QUEER experience).
WINNER: Best Actor (Daniel Craig) National Board of Review (2024).
Why did I attend this screening of QUEER, when I promised myself, 33 years ago (NAKED LUNCH), I would never waste my time in front of another William H Burroughs tale? Well I didn't actually know it was a Burroughs' tale until I'd settled in the dark of the cinema.
I'm a heterosexual male who has enjoyed many films depicting gay lust and love on screen, MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, LOVE LIES BLEEDING, CAROL, and PRIEST, to name a few. While the lustfulness in certain scenes of QUEER are confronting, they fit with the voraciousness of Daniel Craig's, William Lee. It was the loose ended, classic "Burroughs tripping" scenes with which I could not connect. There was squirming, and walk-outs in our preview. If we (my wife and I) hadn't been with friends, (who it turned out, thought the same as us) we would have walked back into sunlight. I could not warm to QUEER. Self indulgent and plain boring was my take.
Most of the accolades (80% of its award nominations and wins) for QUEER are for the performance of Craig. For an actor of his stature, this could have been a risky career move, but he wholly succeeds in the role. 6GUMS.
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