Greetings again from the dark
Plot
In Mexico City, in the 1950s, an American expatriate in his 40s lives a solitary life in the middle of a small American community. Ultimately, it was Daniel Craig who convinced Luca Guadagnino to cast Drew Starkey after watching Guadagnino’s audition tapes and saying «That’s the guy»; after seeing Starkey… William Lee: Get on your ass! Or what was left of her after four years in the Navy.. Features Orfej (1950).
Daniel Craig plays William Lee
Some directors have earned the benefit of the doubt to the point where every film they release is worthy of consideration. Luca Guadagnino is such a director. He first caught my attention with I AM LOVE (2009) and has since followed that up with such exciting films as A BIGGER SPLASH (2015), CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017), SUSPIRIA (2018), BONES AND ALL (2022), and CHALLENGERS, his first film released in 2024. This time, he and his CHALLENGERS Screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes’ take on the novella from 1985 by William S Burroughs, «Queer»; Taking on the writing of William S Burroughs is challenging enough as a reader, let alone as a filmmaker. If you are familiar with Burroughs' writing, then you know that the character of William Lee shares many of the same personal attributes as Burroughs himself.
The film opens with Chapter 1: How do you like Mexico?
He is a gay man who drinks too much, takes drugs hard and is quite sexually promiscuous. Lee spends his time drinking non-stop and preparing for his next roll in the proverbial haystack. He has a few expat friends, including Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman), but it’s a cool cat who catches his eye. Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) is a young ex-soldier, and Lee quickly falls in love. The two hang out together, though Lee is never really sure if Eugene is gay or not, as he spends a lot of time playing chess with fellow bar patrons.
Mary (Andrea Ursula)
A night of passion between Lee and Eugene leads to Chapter 2: Traveling Companions. The two men head to South America as their awkward relationship (and agreement) leads to more drinking. Chapter 3: The Jungle Botanist is definitely one of the most bizarre segments of any movie this year, as the men go deep into the jungle to connect with a doctor who has been researching some «vegetation»; which could solve Lee’s fascination/obsession with telepathy. There’s no viable description for this segment, but kudos to anyone who recognizes Leslie Manville – the one with a sloth and keeping a viper for home security #39, long struggle with loneliness becomes most apparent. Spending time with Eugene offers a true and lasting relationship with something more than a bottle of tequila or a needle of heroin.
Opening in theaters on December 6,
Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey are both excellent here and could take every award. If your previous exposure to Mr. Craig is in the James Bond movies, you might find this role a little surprising, but those who have followed his career are aware.
