Weekend (2011)

I had such hopes for this after all the fabulous reviews and comments I had seen. When I started to watch, I realised that this was not going to relate to anything to do with my life and priorities at all. Within 20 minutes I was getting bored, after 35, I had had enough. This might (and clearly does) cater for a section of gay men who are on a particular scene. Unfortunately, they are the ones with the loudest voices and the most votes here. For the rest of us, it's an irrelevant load of pretension. I mean, nothing at all goes on, just continual talking about things that don't matter to anyone else. It's simply awful. I saw comments that straight people wouldn't want to see this. I can understand that completely. It's a crying shame that loads of gay guys would not want to either, or if they did, they are keeping their heads down about not having liked it.

I think the absolute best thing about it is how simple it is: no shouting scenes, no one gets beat up or dies (which is sadly a staple of LGBT films that get hyped up at awards season — well, before Carol and Moonlight, that is). It's just a really really well done, intimate portrait of two white gay men getting to know each other. It's gentle but is not afraid to show sex and sexuality. When sexuality is shown though, it's never exploitative. The main characters feel real, and their chemistry is wonderful.

Well, a single hairy gay goes to a gay bar and finds another hairy one... Then they go home, have sex, start conversing and find out that they have common understanding in multiple issues... Not too original start, but things may be going to develop. But they did not. Still the same: lots of reasoning, talks about gay stuff and fears, some sex... Yes, there are some new activities ahead, but Weekend is still a documentary-like narration about two gays among themselves, with some brief communication with "straight" friends. Well accomplished and performed, but without real dynamism and intrigues I would like to detect in a film on related topic, or if strangers get to know each other. "Artistic" ought not to be equal with "commonplace", there are many examples showing otherwise.For me, not enough as for a feature film. I tend to think that many viewers would like e.g. Freier Fall (Germany) more. At least I did.

Nowadays, the perception about relationships has changed significantly, due among other things to the changing priorities of life, in which casual encounters that do not involve any kind of attachments (either for lack of time to be in a relationship or even for fear of falling in love) are increasingly common. But what happens when the need to know the other person comes after one of those? What happens when feelings start to make their appearance? This is the dilemma that faces Russell (Tom Cullen), a British lifeguard with a normal life with no major surprises, but with few close friends (the closest person in his life is his best friend Jamie). One night, on his way back home from Jamie's, he decides to go to a bar and meets Glen (Chris New) with whom ends up spending the night in his apartment. After detailing to Russell how they hooked up and slept together,Glen leaves, but Russell has the desire to keep watching him, which happens, but there is one small detail: Glen must go to the US to take an art course for 2 years. Within the "genre" of romance movies, there are several examples of casual encounters, such as David Lean's Brief Encounter and more recently Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise. In fact, could be said that the latter is the most influential for Andrew Haigh, who in Weekend gives us a particular point of view about relationships and the reasons that lead us to want or not want to get involved emotionally. In the case of Glen and Russell is evident that there is an attraction that goes beyond the physical aspect, and as they spend time together, the connection between them is notorious. Thus Haigh, no tricks, no melodrama, through his characters makes interesting reflections on what means to be gay in these times, and how gay men perceive concepts such as happiness, love or loneliness through their experiences and how they are noticed by straight people. Glen has a point of view about life that's slightly different than Russell's: despite being attracted to him, he is reluctant to fall because of a failed relationship and does not believe in marriage or long term commitments. Russell, meanwhile, believes in love and live life without hiding even though he is more reserved and somewhat shy. With a film language closer to documentary, and a remarkable chemistry between Cullen and New, who are not afraid to take the risk of playing gay, Haigh takes us to be witnesses on how two people who barely know each other share their hopes, fears and cravings, making entirely believable that everything takes place in one weekend. Which in turn, makes harder for the viewer the inevitable moment of the farewell and in the end one can only hope that one day, they will meet again to find out whether it was really love what was flourishing between them.