Cheaters Never Prosper

Breathe In brings nothing new to infidelity genre

There have been so many different books, movies and television shows that explore illicit relationships between older men and younger women that the storyline could probably be considered its own genre.

What that means, however, is that anyone who wants go down that well-trodden road again better bring something truly special to the table.

Unfortunately for Breathe In, there’s nothing particularly memorable about it. It centers on the Reynolds family — father Keith (Guy Pearce), mother Megan (Amy Ryan) and daughter Lauren (Mackenzie Davis) — who welcome in a friend’s daughter, Sophie (Felicity Jones), as an exchange student from England.

There are lots of small moments that add up to the ultimate attraction, so by they cross that line, it’s no real surprise.

Keith is a high school music teacher hoping to make it as a full-time orchestra member, and Sophie, who shows much promise on the piano, seems to understand exactly what it takes to be great in that field.

As Sophie shows more and more interest in him and his work, he finds himself inexorably drawn to her.

To his credit, writer/director Drake Doremus takes his time trying to establish a connection between Keith and Sophie. There are lots of small moments that add up to the ultimate attraction, so by the time they decide to cross that line, it’s no real surprise.

But what Doremus forgets to include is any true-to-life emotion. Although the film has some original flourishes, it’s hard to escape the paint-by-numbers feel that comes with this kind of story. And because none of the four main characters stands out in any way, it’s difficult to root for or against any of them.

Doremus and co-writer Ben York Jones never give Keith any big reason to stray from his family, which is perfectly fine except that it doesn’t really make for a compelling film. The movie doesn’t seem to contain any kind of overarching message, at least not one that’s been said a million times before, so Keith just comes off as your average cheater.

None of the story problems are the fault of the actors, however. Pearce, Jones, Ryan and Davis all acquit themselves well even when the situations don’t live up their standards. Jones appears on her way to becoming Doremus’ muse, as she was also at the center of his last film, Like Crazy.

If seeing two people make poor choices that cause a family to fall apart sounds like your cup of tea, by all means put Breathe In at the top of your list. But for all of you who have seen this kind of film many times before, it’s not worth your time.

Felicity Jones in Breathe In.

Felicity Jones in Breathe In

Photo courtesy of Cohen Media Group

Felicity Jones in Breathe In.

Movie Review

Daniel Craig searches for elusive new bond in audacious film Queer

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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