Weekend **** (2011, Tom Cullen, Chris New) – Classic Movie Review 12,353

Tom Cullen and Chris New star in Andrew Haigh’s impressive 2011 British LGBT romantic drama film Weekend, as two men who enjoy a meaningful brief encounter just before one of them plans to leave the UK.

Tom Cullen stars as Russell and Chris New stars as Glen in the extremely likeable, intelligent and thoughtful 2011 British LGBT romantic drama film Weekend, written and directed by Andrew Haigh, as two young men who meet and begin a sexual relationship the very weekend before one of them plans to leave the UK for a couple of years. It’s a profound and provocative boy meets boy story.

One cold October Friday night in Nottingham, Russell (Tom Cullen) goes to a gay club and meets art student Glen (Chris New), and they have sex at Russell’s flat. The next morning, Glen coaxes Russell to speak into a voice recorder about the previous night, for an art project. Russell writes about Glen on his laptop, as he does after each of his brief encounters. But the one-night stand turns into something else.

Russell spends Saturday morning working as a lifeguard and texts Glen, who agrees to meet up again. The two learn about each other. Glen explains his art project explores the gap between who people are and who they want to be, as shown in their hooking up personas. Russell reveals he never came out to his parents because he does not know who they are. He grew up in foster homes with his best friend Jamie (Jonathan Race).

Russell is more reserved and more romantic, while Glen is much blunter and more forthright and down to earth. The two men seem like opposites, but the opposites are attracting, running along the same track, at least for the weekend. The two get closer and closer as they bicker and banter. But then comes the bombshell. Glen tells Russell he is moving to Oregon the next day to attend a two-year art course.

If this plot device seems a little contrived – though it does work nicely – everything else seems 100 per cent convincing and persuasive in the story, action and dialogue, much of it improvised as they went along apparently. Tom Cullen said: ‘Andrew, Chris and I really tore the script to pieces. I could literally throw anything at Chris and he would respond accordingly. When we started each scene, we were never entirely sure where it would go.’

It feels like a co-operative effort. If so, much kudos to the two main actors, as well as the film-maker. It’s a very smooth and engrossing ride. A lot of ideas are chucked around, and a lot of dust kicked up, so there is much food for thought along with the drama. It’s quite emotional too, as well as sexual, covering most of the gay bases, so it is satisfying.

Most of the film was shot on location in Nottingham in late 2010, and the film gets great value from the Nottingham backdrop. Nottingham seems to have cheered up and got gentrified from the bad old days. This film is partly a celebration of that and of how gay men have reclaimed their lives and their way of life. It is quite a celebratory film, with a brash good mood and an inner warm spirit. Just look at the crucial scene where Glen pretends to be Russell’s father so Russell can come out.

Haigh’s second feature premiered on 11 March 2011 at the SXSW Film Festival in the US, where it won the Audience Award for Emerging Visions. The film played in many other festivals and won many more awards including the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Narrative Feature at L.A. Outfest and London Film Critics’ Circle award for Breakthrough British Filmmaker. It cost £120,000 and was a success at the box office in the UK and the U.S, earning $1,128,477 worldwide.

The cast are Tom Cullen as Russell, Chris New as Glen, Jonathan Race as Jamie, Laura Freeman as Jill, Loretto Murray as Cathy, Johnathan Wright as Johnny, Sarah Churm as Helen, Vauxhall Jermaine as Damien, Joe Doherty as Justin, and Kieran Hardcastle as Sam.

The promotion and production stills are shot by photography team Quinnford & Scout (Colin Quinn and Oisín Share), whose work inspired Haigh’s design on location. The duo also make a cameo in the film.

Andrew Haigh states: ‘Weekend is both an honest and unapologetic love story between two guys and a film about the universal struggle for an authentic life in all its forms. It is about the search for identity and the importance of making a passionate commitment to your life.’

Andrew Haigh was born on March 7, 1973 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, UK. He is also known for 45 Years (2015) and Lean on Pete (2017).

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,353

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