TIFF Review: ‘Queer’ Brings Something New Out of a Superb Daniel Craig

Films bring together a range of storytellers and artists, and while specific storylines are certainly relevant to a film’s quality and mass appeal, there are those who seek out those whose work they’ve appreciated and liked in the past. Queer unites filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, a director with a true vision, with Daniel Craig, best known for his action star career made famous by his portrayal of James Bond, to adapt one of the seminal works of author William S. Burroughs, melding three distinct voices into an intriguing product that proves enchanting but not entirely inviting.

It’s the 1940s in Mexico City, and Lee (Daniel Craig) spends his days and nights wandering from one bar and restaurant to the next, talking to anyone who will listen and looking for another attractive man to go home with for the night. He becomes fascinated with Allerton (Drew Starkey), an American veteran whose sexual orientation he can’t quite discern. As his obsession with this quiet but alluring man intensifies, Lee struggles with his own addictions and travels to South America with Allerton by his side in search of the chance to utilize telepathy with the aid of a powerful plant with a legendary reputation.

This film will surely attract fans all three of its creative forces, with anyone who has seen Craig before likely to be the most surprised. He’s doing something extraordinarily new for him, moving away from the suave spy he played for a decade and a half and the over-the-top investigator with an indiscernible accent in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out films. He’s self-indulgent, excessive, and altogether mesmerizing to watch as he floats through life, aimless and so singularly focused at the same time. Even if the movie around him loses sight of itself at time, Craig hones in on this adrift character in a powerful way.

There is something recognizable about the look and feel of this film that devotees of Guadagnino’s will appreciate. While its content is different, Call Me By Your Name may be the closest of his works to this one, with Mexico City in this era feeling much like Europe and the sudden intensity of moments garnering an incredible intimacy. It’s certainly nothing like the other film Guadagnino has out this year, Challengers, which chooses a livelier and more sensational option at every turn while this film opts to remain subdued and contemplative.

All that thinking leads to a film that, divided into several chapters, isn’t always all that accessible. Watching Lee wander through his life is entrancing, but after a while, that’s all it is, and when he begins traveling, it feels like a hallucinogenic fever dream, ironically the endgame that he himself is chasing. The film’s 135-minute runtime is at times draining, with certain standout vivid scenes spaced apart by periods of minimal action or plot development, rewarding only for the most patient of viewers who remain magnetized by Craig’s performance and aren’t in search of a lively narrative.

Starkey, in a breakout role, is an interesting foil for Craig, meeting his enthusiasm with a reserved curiosity that does serve the film well. Jason Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are both almost unrecognizable in parts that exist to support and occasionally challenge Lee’s existential journey, a story that’s built around him as the center of the universe, even if he’s the only one who believes that. The visuals and music choices in Queer are undeniably deliberate and effective, but its structure and pacing leave much to be desired. Those who love Burroughs’ work may disagree, but most audiences will find this film most worthwhile for what it brings out of Craig.

Movie Rating: 6/10

Awards Buzz: It’s likely that Challengers will be Guadagnino’s big Oscar movie this year, but expect Craig to figure strongly into the awards conversation and earn his first Oscar nomination, along with a potential bid for this film’s memorable songs.