FILM REVIEW: Weekend

JORDAN HIRST

This month one of the most realistic and honest films in the history of LGBTQ cinema, Andrew Haigh’s Weeekend, finally comes to selected Australian cinemas.

The British indie drama follows Russell and Glen, two twentysomething gay men who meet at a nightclub one Friday night. The two turn what appears to be a simple one-night stand into a boozy, drug-fuelled weekend of self-discovery.

Russell is struck by Glen’s sudden revelation that on the following Monday he’ll be leaving for a two-year stint in the US. Before he goes, Russell and Glen engage in several conversations about love, sex and homosexuality.

Russell is quiet and fairly complacent about the restrictions placed on his sexual identity by the ‘straight’ world in which he lives, whether or not those restrictions actually exist outside of his own head.

Glen is confident and outspoken, defiantly stating that he “doesn’t do boyfriends” but only using this as a mask to hide a fear of commitment. By the end of the weekend, each character finds their outlook on life changed by the other.

During their 48 hours together, Russell and Glen take drugs, make love, share stories and discuss a number of ideas and opinions about gay life, without falling into the trap of becoming mouthpieces for the opinions of their creator.

This is in part thanks to the incredible performances from the two newcomers Tom Cullen and Chris New, who bring intensity to the film and very authentic intimacy to their characters.

Weekend may sound like a straightforward love story but nothing about the film’s portrayal of contemporary gay life is contrived or cliched. Any gay man who has ever privately questioned who they really are will appreciate the realism and honesty of Weekend. Don’t miss this film.

Weekend opens at selected Australian cinemas on January 26. The film is screening in Melbourne at Cinema Nova and in Brisbane at the Palace Barracks.