Again, Greetings from the Darkness
Tale
In 1950s Mexico City, an American immigrant in his forties lives a lonely life in a small American community. However, the arrival of a young college student prompts the man to form a meaningful bond with someone. Ultimately, it was Daniel Craig who convinced Luca Guadagnino to cast Drew Starkey after watching Guadagnino’s audition tapes and telling him “That’s the guy” after watching Starkey. William Lee: Sit Down on Your Ass! Or What’s Left of It After Four Years in the Navy. Orpheus (1950) features.
Luca Guadagnino is one such filmmaker
Some filmmakers have earned the benefit of the doubt to the point that every film they release is worthy of consideration. He first caught my attention with I AM LOVE (2009), and since then he has made such interesting films as A BIGGER SPLASH (2015), CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017), SUSPIRIA (2018), BONES AND ALL (2022) , and CHALLENGERS, his first film released in 2024. This time, he and his CHALLENGERS screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes took on William S. Burroughs’ 1985 novella, “Queer,” which was a tie-in to his 1953 novel, “Junkie.” Taking on the writing of William S. Burroughs is hard enough as a reader, let alone a filmmaker. The role of William Lee is played by Daniel Craig.
The film begins with Chapter 1: How Do You Like Mexico?
If you are familiar with Burroughs’ writing, you know that the character of William Lee shares many of the same personalities as Burroughs himself. He’s a gay man who drinks too much, does hard drugs, and is quite promiscuous. Lee spends his time drinking and partying nonstop before his next roll in the proverbial hay. He has a few expat friends, including Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman), but it’s a certain cool guy who catches his eye. Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) is a young ex-soldier, and Lee quickly falls for him. The two spend time together, although Lee is never sure whether Eugene is gay or not, since he spends most of his time playing chess with another bargoer, Mary (Andra Ursula).
A single night of passion between Lee and Eugene leads to Chapter 2: Fellow Travelers
The two men head to South America, and their awkward relationship (and arrangement) leads to more drinking. Chapter 3: The Jungle Botanist is easily one of the weirdest segments this year, as the men trek deep into the jungle to make contact with a doctor who has studied “vegetation” that may solve Lee’s fascination/obsession with telepathy. There’s no coherent description for this segment, but kudos to anyone who recognizes Leslie Manville — the one with the sloth as a pet and the viper as home security. The epilogue picks up two years later, and it’s here that Lee’s long struggle with loneliness becomes most apparent. His time with Eugene provides a home for a real, lasting connection with something other than a bottle of tequila or a heroin needle. Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey are both excellent here, and each could receive an award.
It hits theaters on December 6, 2024
If you’ve previously encountered Mr. Craig through the James Bond films, this role may come as a bit of a surprise, but those who’ve followed his career know what I mean.