Queer

Intimacy isn't real when sex is taboo. This is something we're introduced to in the opening minutes of Queer, wherein our aged protagonist - in a rushed, almost brashly shot sequence - has sex with a younger man, during a period in which homosexuality was nowhere near being socially acceptable and in a context in which this sex is purely easily-accessible pleasure. This lack of intimacy is prevalent in Guadagnino's latest outing, a film that I really wanted to love, a film I've been eagerly awaiting the chance to watch since his previous outing, Challengers, skyrocketed into becoming my favorite film, a film that I really thought I'd thoroughly enjoy, considering the amount of crew-crossover between the two projects. But, unfortunately, Queer fell short for me. I can't truly begin to express exactly what it is that ruined the film for me, because I really did love it's first half-or-so, except maybe to confirm my general disdain towards the 'weird' in movies. I'll definitely have to re-watch to confirm final thoughts.