04/09/2024 - VENICE 2024: Daniel Craig has so much fun in Luca Guadagnino’s odd tale of sex, drugs and exotic animals

Luca Guadagnino takes on William S Burroughs in Queer, and the results are, well, interesting. There was early Oscar talk even before the premiere in competition at Venice – it’s hard to believe, but Daniel Craig has never been nominated, not even for his almost-breakthrough in Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon. We mention this title also because, before Queer, that was probably one of his last riskier choices. Later, there was worldwide success and 007, which is all great. But it’s fun to be reminded of how committed he can be as an actor.

It’s a daring role, alongside quite a few other daring roles at Venice this year – Nicole Kidman also gave it her all in Babygirl – but it might be too weird for Oscar voters. Not just because of the sexuality, but because Queer swerves from an elegant, erotic drama about a man falling for a younger stranger into a madhouse in the jungle. Suddenly, it’s not about fedoras and stolen glances. Unknown drugs are taken, exotic animals pop up from just about every corner, and people choke on their own beating hearts.

Queer might be the messiest film Guadagnino has made recently, but this weird humour, verging on parody, is actually here from the start – also thanks to Jason Schwartzman as William Lee’s friend, falling for the wrong guys who steal everything from him, including his socks. All of these men, stuck in Mexico City, are mocking everyone, and especially each other. They form cliques and lust over the same newcomers. They drink too much, have sex and check what’s new in their tiny community. It makes sense that Craig’s Lee and Gene (Drew Starkey) decide to leave at one point – this whole lifestyle feels temporary. Eventually, someone is bound to die or go back home to take care of their ailing mother.

These two have already slept together, but it’s a clear agreement this time: Gene will go on a trip to South America with Lee, one that won’t cost the former a penny. He just needs to "be nice to him two times a week" and help him score some dope when he starts shaking too much. At least until they finally find something called “yage”, which helps you develop telepathic powers. Lee certainly needs it because he has no clue what’s going on in his lover’s head. There is something oddly romantic about that.

Guadagnino has made a period drama, set in the 1950s, so there are reasons for this affair to be so toxic. This world won’t make it easy for them, and they know it – they can hide, flee or continue living in Mexico City. Maybe that’s why in this movie, desire always comes with way too much mezcal and sadness.

But it also comes with a sense of time passing too quickly, so either you grab this love now, or never. Lee can already tell younger men are starting to find him annoying – it might be his age, his white-linen suits, or it might be the way he is. He’s resigned himself to accepting whatever (or whoever) might come his way. But Gene is different.

He tortures him like he’s never been tortured before, then makes him happy. Craig – and Guadagnino – excel at showing what it means to desire someone so much that it takes away all of your power. Lee has seen it all, he’s done it all, he keeps telling his friend not to take stray boys home, and then he does just that. He can’t help it. What a weird, sweaty, tender love story this film is.

Written by Justin Kuritzkes, Queer is an Italian-US co-production staged by Fremantle, Fremantle North America, The Apartment (a Fremantle Group company) and Frenesy Film Company, in collaboration with Cinecittà and Frame by Frame. Fremantle International oversees its international sales.