Weekend (Andrew Haigh, 2011)

Russell and Glen meet at a club and subsequently sleep with each other. The following morning, what began as a one-night-stand, becomes a short-lived relationship, cut short by Glen’s impending departure to the United States. In the spirit of films like “Before Sunrise,” the most remarkable element of Andrew Haigh’s “Weekend” is its honesty. At its core, the film is a 90-minute conversation between the protagonists, in which we come to know them inside out, through discussions of their past relationships, gay politics, and family life.

In a mere hour and a half, Haigh captures the essence of modern relationships with incredibly realistic dialogue and characters. The film’s protagonists talk like real people, and are not stereotypical impeccably dressed stereotypical gay men, but human beings with dead-end jobs and stubble. The film does not shy away from the awkwardness of sex and portrays the characters’ insecurities remarkably. The film’s “slice of life” structure, however, is also its biggest defect, as it never truly evolves from its original setup. While the film is well written and acted, it is too close to home and, in a way, formulaic in the way it breaks the unwritten rules of romantic movies.

Recommended (B+)