“I met him two days ago, he doesn’t know me, I don’t know him, and he… I met him, like, two days ago, two days is nothing.” –Tim Cullen
Two days can seem like nothing in the span of a lifetime, but what happens in those two days can change our lives forever. This was proven in the indie gay romance film “Weekend," directed by Andrew Haigh.
The trailer for this movie gave a compelling and promising introduction to a romance that explores the modern culture of sex and love. The movie itself exceeded those early promises as it became a raw, emotional, and overall honest farewell drama with a message that any number of people can relate to: that a person can impact your life greatly, no matter how long you have known them. It’s a story that transcends orientation and is relatable for many recent generations.
Russell (Tim Cullen) is a lifeguard at a Nottingham, England pool. His life appears routine and mundane and his personality comes off as reserved and quiet. After a night of hanging out with his mostly straight friends, he finds himself at the gay bar “Propaganda,” where he meets Glen (Chris New), a extroverted, out-and-proud gay man that enjoys political debacles. The two spend the night together in a way that most youth do in our sexually charged society. The next morning, Glen asks to interview Russell about the previous night’s encounter, and the conversation that follows turns unexpectedly deep. From that night, the two become connected in a way that neither was prepared for in the least, and their modern day romance begins to blossom.
After their second physical encounter, Glen tells Russell a fact that may mean that their future together may not be set up to succeed. At this point, the movie begins to pick up, as Glen and Russell end up spending the rest of the weekend together. Their drug-induced conversations begin to break down their walls and the two share more with each other than they would normally, but none of it ever feels unnatural or out of character, which can be credited to the actors' superb acting skills, which allowed the dialogue to feel almost improvised, as if it were really happening to them.
This movie invites us to think about what it really is to love another person and who really matters in our lives. Some people may come into our lives and be there for years and years and still have no impact on us in any significant way. Yet there are the few that, even in just meeting them, can ultimately change the way we view the world around us. “Weekend” argues the fact that vulnerability for each other and the complete trust that stems from that is more important than the total time we spend with another.
“Weekend” is a beautifully written and artistically powerful social story. It is definitely a must watch.
4/5 stars.
Warning: This movie is not suited for all audiences. Depictions of sex and drug use are explicit.
