William Lee: Sit on Your Ass!
Narrative
In 1950s Mexico City, a forty-something American expatriate lives a lonely life amidst a small American community. However, the arrival of a young student prompts the man to finally make a meaningful connection with someone. Daniel Craig was ultimately the one to convince Luca Guadagnino to cast Drew Starkey after watching audition tapes with Guadagnino and telling him “That’s the guy” after watching Starkey’s film. Or What’s Left of It After Four Years in the Navy. Features Orfej (1950). QUEER. This word has more than one meaning.
What does he want?
The most widespread is “weird or strange.” The second most common use is “homosexual.” Both meanings apply to this film, but the first is probably more apt. This film has much more in common with APOCALYPSE NOW than it does with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. The story concerns “Lee,” a man in his 50s in the 1950s. He is an American who has achieved a certain level of material success and now lives a relatively hedonistic expatriate life in Mexico. He is an alcoholic and in the early stages of drug addiction. He spends his days and nights hanging around gay bars and having meaningless relationships with men with whom he has nothing in common except that they are gay. It is an empty existence.
He wishes he knew
He cannot put it into words. He meets a younger man who appears to be bisexual (his partner in the bar scene is a woman), but they develop a relationship. It is not particularly satisfying to him. He wants more from the younger man than the younger man is willing to give him. He eventually convinces him to accompany him on a trip into the South American jungles to search for a plant that contains a drug that is supposed to allow him to develop telepathic powers. He believes that this drug will allow him to understand what he wants without resorting to words. They tell him that there is a shaman in the jungle who can obtain the plant for him.
And the drug-induced hallucinations may also prove very disturbing to some people
The two men head into the jungle and find the woman, who, played by Lesley Manville, is a fierce force: an old woman who wields a knife and carries a gun and seems out for blood. They at least partly gain her trust, but she warns them not to take the drug, because it will open a door for them that they cannot close. I am glad I saw this film, but it is not for everyone. The ending is enigmatic and the gay sex scenes may prove too specific for some people. It is not exactly hard-core pornography, but, thanks mostly to the sound effects, it comes close. This film is beautiful to look at; the art direction and cinematography are exceptional, with each scene beautifully composed. For me, the film evoked the paintings of Edward Hopper in its depiction of an objective isolation of the psyche.
It’s a great performance
The acting is also outstanding. Daniel Craig can break your heart by doing very little. I predict that both he and Lesley Manville will receive Oscar nominations; Manville may win in the Best Supporting Actress category. It wasn’t until I saw her name in the end credits that I realized that this was the same actress who played the lead in MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS. I think this film will become a staple on the independent film circuit. It certainly deserves more than one viewing.