Queer- In his effort to continue to establish himself as an auteur, Luca Guadagnino managed to release two films in 2024. One of them was the film fanatic darling Challengers, which somehow managed no Oscar nomination, and the other is thiss film. Queer, based on the book by William S. Burroghs is a complicated take on the human experience. What in our search for meaning in life, we often find that we look for meaning in many other things, reasonings, and connection. This is explored through a terrific lead performance from Daniel Craig, as an American ex-pat living in Central America, and enjoying the freedom this place gives him to live authentically as what he believes he is, an openly gay man. A worldly man, an intelligent being capable of conversation, and desperate for connection. He eventually finds it in the form of a younger, less open man (Drew Starkey), and while they connect in bed, there’s a distance between these two that is perhaps more obvious to the audience than to Craig’s mournfully melancholy older gentleman willing to do anything to win over his newest friend, including flying to Brazil to find a plant that could cause them to experience such a high, that the truth will be reached. I’ve seen Queer twice, and the audio description track is exceptional. Not only does it capture the pain behind Craig’s every weak smile, but it also describes some very frank sex scenes, and things no one thought they’d ever see James Bond doing. But Craig is clearly looking to put as much distance between his action counterpart and this new version of himself, one that is worthy of an Oscar nomination, and missed out on one because the film has a third act that is like asking people to leap off a cliff with you. However, if you skip the third act, you miss a brief role from Lesley Manville that is unlike anything she’s ever done as well. Jason Schwartzman is also really good in this film as a frumpy gay man, who seems to not get the same attention the more handsome Craig gets, though they maintain their friendship. Watching this and realizing it got away with an R rating really made me think we have a very different MPAA, because if this had come out in the 90’s, I can’t imagine it would have gotten the same rating. Sure, it is very frank, and open, but that’s what I loved about it. Between Craig’s beautiful performance, Guadagnino’s patient direction, and a lovely score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross that reminds you how far they have come since Nine Inch Nails, I liked Queer more than most. And, I think it also has one of the best audio description tracks of the year. I had this on my lists for Best Director, Best actor, Best Score, and Best Audio description.
Fresh: Final Grade: B+, Audio description: A
Dandelion- This film his me on a personal level. in my life outside of film criticism, i work with so many musicians, and I know so many fantastic real estate agents and flight attendants who are really good singers. They even have the degrees to back it up, but the industry is so competitive, a lot of them have to make a different decision just to put food on the table. That is the plight of our almost 40-year old musician played by Kiki Lane in a breakthrough performance. She fights against the idea that she’s not working, because she does get paid a tiny amount as a gig musician, and it is clearly all she has ever wanted to do. But, as we go on this journey with her, we see the cracks in her confidence, and wonder if Lane can maintain her presence as a young artist. this film is so relatable. I think this just fell way under the radar. it has a solid audio description track, but it didn’t necessarily create any memorable moments for me either.
Fresh: Final Grade: B+, Audio Description: B+
Merchant Ivory- Part of my screener packages last year had this interesting documentary on the guys that started Merchant Ivory, their impact on film, their awards presence, their films, but most importantly these founding artist and the stories behind them. Sadly, it doesn’t have audio description. I felt there was a richness that I couldn’t quite tap into, and without even basic audio description I lose the ability to track who is even speaking at any given moment. But, for film junkies, this feels like a must see, especially if you find yourself watching a lot of merchant Ivory titles. And, in terms of queer representation, it is powerful to see representation rise to the top, and have such a storied legacy on screen as a result. I’d recommend it, but there’s an inability to put a final grade here because it didn’t meet my accessibility needs.
No Grade Due To Lack Of Audio Description