44/14
In 1950s Mexico, an American immigrant in his forties lives among a small community of American hermits. But the arrival of a new student prompts the man to finally have a meaningful connection with someone. Ultimately, Daniel Craig convinced Luke Guadagnino to play Drew Starkey after he watched audition tapes with Guadagnino and told him “That’s the guy” upon seeing Starkey… William Lee: Get on Your Ass! Or What’s Left After Four Years in the Navy. The Graham Norton Show Starring: Daniel Craig / Nicole Cullen / Jess Eisenberg / Kieran Culkin / Flo (2024). I’ve never seen 'All South' (1991), but I often thought about it during the screening of Query at the 2024 London Film Festival: perhaps that was to be expected, since William S. Burroughs provided the source material for both films. In 1950s Mexico, William Lee, an American writer from the wrong side of… forty? Fifties? They spend their days drinking, shooting, and having casual sex with other men. One day, a muscular, intelligent guy walks into a bar, and Lee is smitten. But what does Eugene want? Then there’s the telepathic drug… I’m not sure what director Luca Guadagnino is going for stylistically with this film. The sets are decorated almost entirely in block colorsβlike dull red and olive greenβand have a vaguely surreal, pure Technicolor look that led me to believe they were meant to pay homage to the era in which the film is set. But if so, why the 1950s rock and techno soundtrack? Daniel Craig (is it my imagination or is he starting to sound like Sid James?) is a blast in the lead role, as he constantly has to come up with nonsense. with an accent that is clearly not his own. Drew Starkey, as the manipulative Eugene, could give a more nuanced performance and really looks the part. Leslie Manville is unrecognizable as a doctor living in the jungles of South America – great that the makeup team! This is the kind of movie that I think is more about the art style than the story. It was good to see once, but I won’t watch it again.
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