Weekend

In "Weekend," a beautifully acted and written indie drama from writer/director (and editor) Andrew Haigh, two gay men fall heavily for each other over the course of a 2 or 3 day period, each getting at something in the other that no one before had managed to do. But this is not a "gay" movie, and people who stay away from it because they think it has a gay agenda, or that it has nothing to say to them, or who are simply uncomfortable with the sight of two men having sex, will deny themselves the pleasure of seeing a film with a universal message about what it's like to be lonely and the search for meaningful human connections that kind of loneliness motivates.

It's not that Haigh avoids addressing the complications of being gay in the present day. Part of what I admired about the film was that it put being gay, and the constant energy it takes on the part of gay men to either fight or ignore the ignorance and hostility they must constantly endure, in a context that anybody can understand. The film's central character, Russell (Tom Cullen), has been raised as a foster child in a "straight" environment. His foster brother knows he's gay and is accepting of it, but even at that, Russell's time with his brother and his brother's family only accentuates the desolate fact that the kind of "normal" happiness his brother enjoys (the solidarity of a strong marriage, children) is something that at best he will have to fight for or at worst will be denied altogether. The bitterness this harsh reality can create in gay men is illustrated in the character of Glen (Chris New), a crusader who believes happiness in marriage is a sham perpetrated by the straight community and that attempts at finding contentment and satisfaction in a life partner are akin to tilting at windmills.

Cullen and New deliver award-worthy performances, so it's a shame that this film's size and subject matter will deny it any kind of major awards attention. The film is actually breathtaking at moments, albeit in an unassuming way, in its frankness and its ability to capture perfectly in words ideas about the way our societies treat relationships, commitments and love that I had only half articulated to myself. It would be easy to believe that Haigh found two non-actors roaming the streets, asked them to star in a movie, gave them situations to play out without a script, and filmed the results. It's that authentic.

I hope people see this movie.

Grade: A

I just watched WEEKEND at a screening at the Oslo LGBT film festival, and am still in shock. This is the most real cinematic version of guys falling in love in recent history. I'm a filmmaker myself, and was blown away by the caliber of the writing, directing, acting, cinematography, editing, and music of this fantastic film. There's not a false note in the movie--everything rings true, even the ending (no spoilers here.) It's the rare film, like WINTER'S BONE last year, that at every turning point takes what I call the elegant decision. WEEKEND is at a higher level than all other LGBT films playing the festival circuit this year (the only other film near this level is Tom Twyker's 3.) Actually, it's at a higher level than almost all films playing anywhere this year. Where did this film come from? Apparently the brilliant mind of Andrew Haigh (writer/director/editor), who, I noted on an IMDb search, started as an apprentice editor on GLADIATOR, and then assistant editor on BLACK HAWK DOWN (working with the master editor Pietro Scalia on both. Go UCLA!) I look forward to seeing more of Haigh's work. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT miss this movie.

The IMDb summary of the film does it no justice whatsoever. This piece of art depicted the most genuine and sincere definition of love in any motion picture that I have seen. Besides the fact that the script was well-written, the actors carried the story to fruition in their slightest of gestures, glances, and articulations. You really fall in love with Glen and Russell and want them to be with each other. There are parts where you'll laugh, parts where you might tear up, and parts where you might wonder if you've ever felt what these characters feel for each other. There are some wonderful scenes cinematically as well. The ending is satisfying and resonant of real life, which is a nice change of pace when compared to other love stories. This is the movie that you should see, and I hope you will.

There are countless films about people falling in love, but when you see Weekend you realise just how rare films are that make a sincere attempt to catch what it really is like to fall for someone, without sentimentality, forced cuteness or cheap emotional manipulation. This is the rare love story that has real emotional truth about it. The fact that it is about two men who fall for each other is almost secondary to the way the film catches the universality of what it is like to fall in love. Weekend is not about exceptional people, just about two average, if smart and likable men, tentatively getting close to each other and it catches lightning in a bottle.

This is not to play down the importance of Weekend as a gay film. Gay issues are touched upon and some good political points are made about gay men in todays society, but it's never in a didactic way. Nothing here feels forced, there is a naturalness about the acting and dialogue, real chemistry between the two leads and a sense of lightness about the filmmaking that yet never feels trivial. Weekend catches the little moments of life beautifully and it finds beauty in the everyday.

The acting here is simply amazing from both leads but Tom Cullen as the more quiet, introverted Russell has a touching vulnerability about him and gives what I would regard as the best performance of the year by a male actor. It's all there in tiny details, there is never a moment when you don't utterly believe what goes on in his heart, it's all there in his eyes and the most subtle shifts of expression. No doubt this performance will be overlooked in favour of more histrionic turns this year, but this is what truly great screen acting is about. I think I fell a little bit in love with him myself.

Two gay men pick each other up in a disco in Nottingham and get to know each other over the next two days. They talk, drink, do some drugs, make love, meet people and discover how much they have in common. Russell, who is out to his friends but not to his workmates, would like to get into a relationship. Glen, out to everyone, has had a relationship go bad and is about to move to the US, so he's not looking to get involved.

Andrew Haigh, a writer/director from the Mike Leigh school of intense naturalism, shows us the intricate dynamics of a relationship which just happens to be between two men. The interaction is more important than the sex (which is relatively low-key). This is - obviously! - a gay movie, but it could just as easily be a straight movie.

Tom Cullen and Chris New give finely judged, sensitive performance as the two men who fancy each other, like each other and come to realise that they could very easily come to love each other. WEEKEND has a more intimate, less 'epic' story than BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, but the viewer is invited in a very similar way to watch two people fall into a love affair that may or may not have a future. This is a small movie that packs a big punch.