GUO4

Sensational fail for a director normally more than interesting director: pretentious and banal at the same time. it may have been shot 100 years ago for sexual allusions, "avantgarde" technique and anatomical study. silly sound-track.

Mini Review:

Well, this is an odd one. I'm digging the track's way of speaking for the film with its harshness and... anticipatoriness. Visually, it was a tee shocking, a bit uncomfortable, and then just funny. Couldn't help but put myself in the characters' shoes throughout it. You'll see why if you watch it. Totally a dude movie, but not in the way one might expect. NSFW, btw.

(significantly easier to read on my blog)

Director's Statement:

"The framing of traditionally macho scenarios in a homoerotic context takes its cues from the covert porn of Bob Mizer. With his films in mind, I wanted to make something arousing that could be disguised as a morality tale about the impudence of 'manspreading' in locker rooms. The combination of muscle and beat-up lockers somehow evoked the music in my mind." -Peter Strickland (La Biennale di Venezia)

Comment:

I've never heard the director's use of the term "manspreading", so that was interesting to see portrayed on-screen. I think I'd just call it trying/punking someone or testing their boundaries. 'Eh, it's blatantly disrespectful as portrayed here regardless.

About the Director:

The dude directed The Duke of Burgundy (2014), In Fabric (2018), and a short in The Field Guide to Evil (2018). The first of which I've been planning to watch (at some point) because one of my movie peeps loves it so much. The second I was gonna watch instead of The Lighthouse (2019) during their last week in theatres because it seems my cup of tea and so few people have seen in in comparison to the latter. I chose rest instead. The third I'm interested in overall and could've seen at the Alamo Drafthouse last year but skipped for reasons I don't even recall. I know next to nothing else about him, but everything previously stated is all I need to know to keep looking forward to his work.

A fight between two "swimmers" in a locker room, which is presented as a beautiful combination of homoerotic photography and noise music. The editing of both results in an interesting atmosphere of tension, making it feel disjointed, as much as functional. An engaging experiment overall.

It was literally the best 3 mins i have ever watched. I hope to film a movie like this one day.