Displaying items by tag: Leslie Manville

QUEER

US, 2024, 137 minutes, Colour.

Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino.

There will be many reasons why audiences would be interested in seeing Queer. It has a star, award-nominated performance by Daniel Craig, post-James Bond. The film is directed by Luca Guadagnino, Italian director, who became internationally famous with Call Me by Your Name and 2024’s tennis drama, Challengers. And the central character is the alter ego of American novelist, William S Burroughs.

There is also the meaning of the title, which is the title of a short novel written by Burroughs during his time in the early 1950s in Mexico but not published until the 1980s, his exploration of the meaning of “queer” and his observations as a writer as well as his own personal involvements.

Audiences will appreciate and understand the film better if they have some previous knowledge of Burroughs himself. This film presupposes that audiences are aware of him, of his personality, of his career. A look at the Wikipedia entry on Burroughs offers more information than we can absorb, an interesting reminder that  Burroughs had a long life, wrote many stories and articles  novels, a number of novels, was friendly with Alan Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac from early years, influential in the literature of the Beat Generation, also interested in visual art and making appearances in the number of films including Drugstore Cowboy, as well as David Cronenberg making a film of his controversial novel, The Naked Lunch.

With this background, we can understand Burroughs and his time in Mexico, seeing his typewriter with a page in it but not seeing him doing very much writing, his drinking in bars, incessantly smoking, the conversations with gay friends, then creating an encounter with a young American, Eugene Allerton, Gene, played by Drew Starkey. Allerton, like Burroughs, is a complex character, seeking, searching, testing relationships.

While the first part of the film is the exploration of the queer theme, the second part moves on to something quite different, something noted in the Wikipedia about Burroughs, his interest in magic, as well as in a South American plant which he thinks has the power to increase human telepathy. So Burroughs and Gene travel to the jungle, advised that there is a British doctor who has explored and experimented. She is played by Lesley Manville, almost unrecognisable, who leads them, tantalises them, in their experimentations with this plant.

Suddenly there is an epilogue, two years later, Burroughs himself cleaned up, on his way back to the United States – but, many who are familiar with Burroughs’ life will remember that there was an episode with his wife, drinks, drugs, playing a game with a gun, to shoot an apple placed on her head, her death. And this is re-enacted at the end of the film with Gene and the apple.

Burroughs’ writing was stylised, exploratory – and Guadagnino’s film strives to illustrate this.

1. Audience knowledge of William S. Burroughs, his writing, novels, articles and essays, visual art, his appearance in media, film, television? His life and style, literary influence on US writing the 20^th century? His name, Lee?
2. The title, the novel from the 1950s, not published in the 1980s? Seen in connection with his other writings? Seen as an explorer from his memoir in Mexico in the 1950s? His exploration of queer? But also the interest in magic, drugs, telepathy?
3. The structure of the film, the chapters, the epilogue? Glimpses of Burroughs and his life in the 1950s? Daniel Craig’s performance? The musical score, the songs, the lyrics?
4. The Mexican setting, the town, drab, the 1950s, bars, hotels? The streets, the atmosphere?
5. The initial response to Lee, from those who know about him, from those who know him at only from this film? Age, personality, the writer, the typewriter, the drinking, drugs, his gay friends and conversations, discussions about what it was to be queer?
6. Eugene Allerton, seeing him with the woman, the games, Lee and his eyes on him? Gaining attention, the attraction, the episodes, Gene and his personality, studies background, presence in Mexico, hopes and ambitions, tantalising Lee, eventually getting together, at the hotel, the sexual encounter, the consequences? His on and off connections with Lee?
7. The transition to the second part of the film, Lee and his interest in drugs, his research, telepathy, inquiries, information about the plants, about the doctor in the jungle, his decision to go, Gene going with him?
8. The scenes in the jungle, remote, difficult, finding the hut, Dr Cotter, her background, appearance, her partner, friendly, tantalising, the discussion about the drugs, looking at the root itself, the decision for the experiment, the effect on Lee and Gene, the trance experiences, her solicitations, , the satisfaction? The farewell from the jungle?
9. The sudden epilogue, two years later, Lee and his seeming to be in control, the discussions with his friend, his friend and his personality, the stories, always being robbed by his partners?
10. The reminiscence of the story about the William Tell episode, the gun, the vessel on the head, the shooting, the reality of the shooting of Burroughs’ wife, here dramatised with Gene?
11. William Burroughs at this stage of his life in the 50s, many decades to come, the court and the episode with the death of his wife, his relationships, his influence on the Beat generation and literature? His creative style, finally recognised?

BACK TO BLACK

UK, 2024, 122 minutes, Colour.

Marisa Abella, Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan, Lesley Manville, Juliet Cowan, Sam Buchanan.

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

Back to Black is the title of one of Amy Winehouse’s best-known songs.

There is a television series titled Too Young to Die. Certainly a title for a film portrait of singer, Amy Winehouse, dying in 2011 at the age of 27, it already a five-time Grammy winner, awards in the UK, popularity in the United States.

For audiences who are familiar with Amy Winehouse and her career, this is a two-hour overview portrait of her life and and musical success. Fans of the film are enthusiastic. Critics less so, delving into the film and its screenplay and criticisms of simplification – which is always the case in two-hour film which does not intend to give a full life story. For those fans, there is a documentary by celebrated director, Asif Kapadia, Amy, 2015, which also runs for over two hours.

One of the difficulties in a film about Amy Winehouse is that, while she had enormous popularity with her career songs, many people did not respond well to her as a person, as a personality. Again, for those who are fans, there is plenty to see and reflect on in this film. For those who do not respond well to her, the screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh, who had been tuned into British music history with his portrait of Ian Curtis of Joy Division, Control, 2007, biography of the young John Lennon, Nowhere Boy (2009), the portrait of the London entrepreneur, Paul Raymond, The Look of Love, 2013, works well. Within the first 10 minutes of the film, there is a sequence of the older Amy rushing headlong down the street, then situating Amy and her family, the Jewish background, her ability to sing, relationship with her fatherNan, Eddie Marsan, who is separated from her mother, and her loving man, Lesley Manville.

While there are many of the songs, and star Marisa Abella, who offers what is often called a powerhouse performance, singing herself, there is also a musical score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

The film shows the ability of Amy Winehouse and her powerful voice, her love of jazz, and not wanting to be seen as another Spice Girl, the steps of her rising fame, singing in the pubs, the attention of producers, companies, records, popularity, awards, finding the right time for being inserted into the US musical consciousness, the tours, and, ultimately, five Grammy awards.

On the other hand, Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27 alcoholic poisoning. She is a wilful personality, ambitious, violent outbursts, especially towards the video producer, Blake (Jack O’Connell), an addict, who becomes the object of her love and infatuation, an up-and-down relationship, her violence towards him, his prison term, a divorce – yet, as the screenplay highlights, the continual reference to him in her songs, and during their time together, his presence at her concerts.

Which means that this is also a very sad story of a young woman, alcoholic, suffering from bulimia, anti-drug yet introduced to them, unwilling to go to rehab but finally agreeing (and the hit song Rehab), the deep desire for family and children, sober for a time, yet relapsing and dying.

The film has been directed by Sam Taylor Johnson who also directed Nowhere Boy, the film about John Lennon.

1. The title? Amy Winehouse and her career, hit songs?
2. The London settings, the 1990s, the 2000s? London suburbs, streets and homes, Camden, the pubs, the concert venues, offices and studios, rehab? The scenes in the US, the concerts, Florida, the wedding? The background of Amy Winehouse’s life?
3. The music, the songs, the lyrics, the performance, throughout the film, songs at home, background, award occasions?
4. The opening, Amy running, symbolic? At home, the Jewish background and songs, her singing Fly me to the Moon? Mitch joining in? Family atmosphere, living with her mother, her parents separated, the importance of her relationship with her Nan? The box of photos? At home with her mother, her father taxi driving? Nan and her career, her vision for Amy?
5. Amy, drinking, her attitude towards drugs? The wilful personality, drinking? The contact from Nick, performances, contracts, manager? The companies? Her records, the British public, popularity, her continuing success? The issue of America? Her reluctance? A new manager, the company board, their attitude towards the right time for America? Eventually going, performances? Her return to America, marrying Blake in Florida?
6. Amy and her age, experience, the encounter with Blake, playing pool, his singing, his discovering who she was? The bonding, competition, his girlfriend? The invitation for a cup of tea, his arrival, the relationship, the jealousy of the girlfriend? The rocky relationship, Amy and her devotion to Blake, the drinking, the outbursts, hitting him, his reactions? The up-and-down relationship? Her father’s disapproval? Nan and her support? The reaction to the wedding?
7. Mitch, his background, the divorce, supporting Amy, her success, his pride, his reprimands?
8. The ups and downs of the marriage, violence, Blake and his arrest, going to jail, background of his drugs, cocaine, Amy’s reactions? The visit to jail, his wanting a divorce?
9. Amy, her wanting a family, wanting a family with Blake? Disappointment at not being pregnant?
10. The joy of the Grammy awards, Tony Bennett, family, friends, the speech?
11. Amy and her drinking, the consequences? The pressure of the paparazzi, always there, the photographs, calling out to her? In the media, photos, the magazines?
12. The issue of rehab, talking with her father, going to the rehab – and the later success of the Rehab song?
13. Lee Mia, alcohol, relationships, her young age, disappointment about pregnancy, her death?
14. Age 27, achievements, yet a whole life before her? Her place in British popular music?