Since his last appearance as James Bond in 2021’s ‘No Time To Die,’ Daniel Craig, as an actor, has done everything in his power to shed the image and likeness of James Bond. Maybe to potentially avoid being pigeon holeled as the super spy. As the archetype of James Bond is the most suave, the most masculine, the most in control, and the most cool - every character Craig has portrayed during and after the 007 series has been the opposite of those traits. In the time between performing as James Bond in 2015’s ‘Spectre’ and 2021’s ‘No Time To Die’ he picked up a bleached blonde, hick junkie inmate Joe Bang in 2017’s ‘Logan Lucky.’ Then he portrayed a vulnerable American man that witnessed the Rodney King beatings in the 2017 film ‘Kings.’ And finally he portrayed the ascot donning, quirky midwest detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s surprise hit ‘Knives Out.’ Now enter his turn as gay in the new 2024 film ‘Queer.’ No one can argue that Daniel Craig doesn’t have range. Quite the opposite of Pierce Brosnan’s career post-James Bond. Where Brosnan seems to still be playing James Bond twenty years later. 

Craig, however, even in ‘Queer’ is never really out of his element. Pre-James Bond, he was a bit part character actor, usually with acting chops that chewed the scenery and stole the movie. It absolutely wasn’t outside of his range to play a gay character. His portrayal as the quirky Benoit Blanc was revealed to be gay in the sequel “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story.” (Although whether that was the original plan is debatable). Even his portrayal of James Bond welcomed the idea that James Bond’s sexuality was malleable. Of course as a spy, it makes sense on a purely logical level that not all of 007’s marks are all going to be heterosexual. In fact, to suggest it is unrealistic in the modern day and kind of ludicrous. Of course there are gay spies. It makes sense that the best agents would be pansexual. 

However, as much as Daniel Craig has tried to shed his James Bond persona, it is not as easy to take off as you would think. In ‘Queers,’ Craig plays the main role, a man named Bill Lee. Essentially a stand in for the writer of the novella the movie is based on, Willam S. Burroughs. Lee is an older gay man, getting on in age, who spends the first moments of the film being dejected and used by other gay men, until he meets a younger ex-pat soldier named Eugene Allerton (Drew Starskey) whom he starts a relationship with. I take issue with the character of Bill Lee being used and turned down by other gay men, not to say that one does not have a type, or that one must be attracted to the other…Etc. But the character is being portrayed by Daniel Craig who still has James Bond’s physically imposing body. So imposing that Daniel Craig’s portrayal of James Bond, is considered by many to be the most physically imposing of all the actors to have ever portrayed the character of James Bond, including Sean Connery. My point is: nobody would threaten, use, assault, or get the better of a man built like Daniel Craig. It doesn't make sense. He would be a top if there ever was one and many of the gays that I know would be more than happy to have him. As the girls and the gays would say: “body tea.”

It's not to say that Craig’s performance doesn’t sell the role. Far from it. He is captivating. The film in a lot of ways makes you feel empathy for gay men in general. Luca Guadagrino’s film puts you right in the 1950’s gay bar/club scene of Mexico City in a time where being a homesexual was not only not as common, but also way more taboo. Men were not as openly “out” and accepted by society as they are today. There is a loneliness to this that “Queers” does an exceptional job of portraying as Bill Lee looks for love. Particular scenes portray Bill Lee almost predatory-like as he is an older gay going after younger and even potentially straight but curious men. Other scenes portray Bill Lee as a sad lonely man who simply wants acceptance and love. I was pleasantly rooting for Bill Lee (Craig) to find someone as the film shifts focus several times from a love story, to an adventure movie, to a comedy, back to ultimately a tragedy. 

The majority of the movie focuses on the relationship between Bill Lee and Eugene Allerton as they decide to travel together and take drugs. The film doesn’t play all of it’s cards right away as more and more about the characters is revealed as the film goes on. One of these things is Eugene Allerton’s sexuality. Throughout the film we see him as a loyal companion of Lee’s but he definitely is the trophy boyfriend to Lee. But we are never really sure if Allerton is fully committed to this relationship or this lifestyle. I feel that actor Drew Starsky does not get enough credit here for his cool, almost Don Draper-like, performance as he smokes his cigarettes with an icy resistance. Never letting anyone get in or get too close. It is a role that would be difficult, playing the opposite of Craig’s starpower and charisma, but it is essentially the crux of the movie and the movie would be less without Starsky’s performance. 

Ultimately, I feel that the movie does suffer in terms of pacing and its poor choice to focus on the drug-addled adventures of Lee and Allerton instead of their lack  of emotional intimacy and the one sided relationship between Lee and Allerton. Emotionally that is where the story is - as you can clearly see how giddy Bill Lee is and how in love he is with Eugene Allerton although Allerton is cold and not as reciprocal. Instead the film’s run time devotes a good portion of the film to this drug obsession that would be more at home in a Johnny Depp, Rum Diaries, Hunter S. Thompson type story. This makes sense as the novella “Queer” was based on was never completely finished by William S. Burroughs. The screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes,  had to contact Burrough’s estate and worked with them to arrive on an ending that would be appropriate and approximate to what Burroughs himself would have written. Even with all that being said, the ending still leaves much to be desired but the journey there is enjoyable.