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James Mottram

3/5 stars
American author William Burroughs’ lurid, experimental novels are notoriously difficult to adapt and not exactly conducive to great cinema. David Cronenberg managed it with 1991’s Naked Lunch. Now, Luca Guadagnino takes on Queer, which was written in the early 1950s but was not published until 1985.
Premiering in competition at the Venice Film Festival, Queer is a faithful, authentic dive into Burroughs’ universe, albeit one that struggles to maintain interest over a protracted 135-minute runtime.
Daniel Craig successfully demolishes his James Bond image as William Lee, a middle-aged homosexual drug addict living in Mexico City, drinking himself into oblivion. That is before he starts injecting drugs and going in search of yage, the plant better known now as ayahuasca, which he believes has telepathic properties.


Early on, Lee has an air of bonhomie about him as he seeks out casual sex with men, but his slide towards addiction becomes Guadagnino’s focus.
The Italian director previously tackled gay love in Call Me by Your Name, but in Queer there is a sense of desperation about Lee’s same-sex encounters.
A needy, world-weary soul, Lee sets his sights on the younger Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a sprightly, clean-cut fellow who may or may not be gay.
Eventually, Lee gets his answer, as the two fall into bed before the older man later offers him a chance to accompany him to South America in the search for yage.

The film is loosely divided into three chapters and an epilogue. The third segment, set in the jungle, sees Lee and Allerton encounter Lesley Manville’s unhinged botanist as well as the plant they seek. Cue a long – and slightly tedious – psychedelic sequence as bodies glow, twist and combine.
Sadly, Guadagnino never manages to make this particularly illuminating, perhaps because Lee simply is not that interesting a character to watch over two hours.
To be fair, the detail in Queer is intoxicating, with the period production design absolutely immaculate. Craig will grab all the attention, of course, but aside from a couple of sex scenes, there is not much that is likely to shock the 007 faithful.

Manville is excellent as the wild shaman-like botanist, and Jason Schwartzman, heavily disguised, puts in a good turn as one of Lee’s acolytes. But aside from the odd arresting moment, like the viper that attacks Lee and Allerton in the jungle, Queer gasps for air.
It is not a bad trip exactly, just not one you will want to relive.
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Daniel Craig stars as a homosexual drug addict in search of a psychedelic plant in this faithful dive into author William Burroughs’ universe


Premiering at the 2024 Venice Film Festival and starring Daniel Craig as a homosexual drug addict, Luca Guadagnino’s Queer is a faithful dive into the universe of author William Burroughs.


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An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

Review | Venice 2024: Queer movie review – Daniel Craig shines in Luca Guadagnino’s steamy drama

Daniel Craig stars as a homosexual drug addict in search of a psychedelic plant in this faithful dive into author William Burroughs’ universe