Queer

Luca Guadagnino channels David Lynch in this bizarre, winding adaptation of Burroughs' novella. Although very faithful to its source material, this film's length, anachronistic soundtrack and uneven pacing will test one's patience. It's not until fairly late, that it all starts to resemble the director's entrancing craft.

Daniel Craig is a puzzling choice for this protagonist and shockingly he pulls it off quite well. Whether in a state of banter or wonder or disgust, Craig is in top form here. His performance perfectly conveys the inner turmoil, isolation and loneliness that older gay men face. A complex man who is alternately fascinating and insufferable, Craig breathes life into him.

The film's first chapter feels the longest. But just when you think it's going to be entombed in a claustrophobic melodrama, we get a new journey in the second chapter and unspeakable but beautiful terror in the third chapter. Although the film can be dry and prosaic in the beginning, I would still take Guadagnino even when he gets off-message over many other directors. In the end, this is a thought-provoking and haunting piece of cinema. Recommended to open-minded viewers.