Looking the Movie (2016) - Andrew Haigh

I love the tag line for the movie, “The end is a new beginning”. 

The final chapter of the HBO series Looking, a year later after where season 2 ended. Patrick (Jonathan Groff) comes back to San Francisco for a weekend to attend a wedding. 

Obviously, this movie is about closures. Maybe I am a bit basis, I have been and always will be “Team Kevin”, the scene where they meet for the last time just breaks my heart. I feel like it has happened to all of us before. There are a lots of “what if” throwing in the air, I am not saying we should just forgive our cheating boyfriends and start all over again. It’s more about facing the problem, how you handle your emotions and most importantly how you deal with it. Running, of course is a solution but it will probably lead you nowhere. Relationship is about “the spark”, yes, but the most crucial thing is how you work it out. Every relationship has their ups and downs, but if we always run away from them, what good does it do to us? The whole Kevin situation happened because Patrick is running away from his problems with Richie in the first place. 

What I love about Looking the series and the movie in general is how the show runners and the creators convey the emotions we all have, yes, it is a gay-themed series, but it happens to we all. It will be equally good even if it’s a heterosexual series. 

I guess the reason why it didn’t work with the audience is because it’s too real, too cruel. They are just like Patrick turning away from their problems and try to turn a blind eye to what is really happening around them. People hate conformation, they like something they could relate to but not too much. 

I love the idea that the movie could be called “the weekend” too, if you what I mean.

Weekend - Andrew Haigh

Met someone at a nightclub, spent an awfully wonderful night with someone. Something seemed to be cooking between the two of you. However, the next day the both of you had to go separate ways. Does it ring any bell? Andrew Haigh wrote and directed the “Weekend”, took us down to the familiar alley and rekindled the feelings we had fought back a thousand times.

I wonder how many of us have actually done what Russell (Tom Cullen) did, declining a friend’s invite and went to a bar alone and went home with a stranger, Glen (Chris New). This was how the "weekend" started, followed by unanticipated attractions, heated discussions, erotic sexes and eventually an undesired goodbye. Obviously, most of us have been through or did something somewhat similar, it was pretty predictable, but why it is a compelling movie?

It was how Haigh engaged in the emotions, the differences of the two protagonists. The authentic personalities set both of them on very diverse grounds. The distinct personas drew the audience like me, pondering their own experiences. Unlike the typical gay themed movies, it was not about coming out, struggling within the society. It was more of an individual awakening, striving for what they need, and it was exactly the initiative of why Russell walked into the nightclub alone.

What drew Glen to Russell was a different story; an intended affection left him helpless. What the both of them represented were the two emblematic norms of this generation gay perspective. On one hand, hoping to be loved; on the other hand losing faith in love but still constantly falling into it.

The bona fide characters not only brought by the sensitive measures the director took, but also letting the leads improvise, Haigh revealed in an interview with the SXSW Film Festival 2011. The genuine dialogues and the subtle development of the story carried out a sense of togetherness which was extremely relatable.

This year I have come across two very similar movies, “Weekend” and “Room in Rome”, Spanish director, Julio Medem first English movie. Both featured same-sex encounters in a short burst of time. Is it just homosexual relationship could easily end up having an instant fling or it was a sheer coincident that both movies depicted the same scenario?

No matter what the reason is, both movies inspired and brought back a lot of memories. Today there aren’t many low-budget movies with such quality which could leave you ponder and nodding your head with appreciation.