WEEKEND

Glen and Russel meet at a club on Friday and spend the night together. They embark on the discovery of each other’s fears, their past and the possibilities of a new love, during a weekend that will consequently make a significant difference to their respective lives.

Weekend explores the unexpectedness of love, the growth of intimacy and the uncertainty of youth.

Director Andrew Haigh said he wanted to make an, ‘honest, intimate and authentic love story’. This is certainly true of Weekend: though it touches on the issues and difficulties surrounding gay relationships, the themes depicted in this film resonate with any love story, following two people who meet and immediately connect, and whose paths cross when the course of their lives is yet undecided.

Andrew Haigh’s superb, subtle direction and the wonderful performances from newcomers Tom Cullen (Russel) and Chris New (Glen) are enough to render Weekend a future cult classic in the way that Before Sunrise was. Let us hope that Haigh also brings us back into the lives of these two characters in ten years’ time, and that the result is as flawless as Weekend. (HP) ****1/2