Review of Weekend (2011) by Sophie . — 05 Aug 2012

Weekend arrived at the perfect time, I was really looking for a slice of life style film rather than big Hollywood blockbusters that become so meaningless and predictable.

I love this film, I like what it represents - two guys sharing a weekend together, discussing the issues of being a gay man or a couple in the current society, while slowly but quickly falling for each other.

I am all about the acting, as you need to feel the depth of a character to believe their actions and what they have to say. The chemistry between Tom and Chris makes the film feel important, because without it you wouldn't care for the characters, it is just a glimpse into their life as you don't know anything more than what actions they take and words being spoke. But I did care, I wanted Russell to be happy and Glen in his unusual manner seems like a good fit, the opposites attract type thing.

The acting and camera work are the real driving force making this so lovely to watch and feel 100% natural. Andrew Haigh shows confidence as a director, the shots are long and usually one scene is one take without cuts, so the actors are in character for the full scene of 10 or so minutes and that is the key to getting so deep into the moment with them.. There is no back story, in a sense it is a universal story as they are just normal guys in a somewhat contemporary romance. This all creates such a gem of a film because there is a sense of sadness but reality leaves you at ease.