Bones and All (2022)

This time Luca Guadagnino invites us to go with him, Taylor Russell and of course with Timothy Chalamet on a trip to the United States.

In the story, a cannibal girl named Maren (Taylor Russell) embarks on this journey after her father abandoned her. On the way, she meets her own kind, learns to find them by smell, simultaneously trying to understand herself and her feelings.

Guadagnino, as an openly gay man, once again touches on topics that are important for many and primarily for himself – self-determination, finding his place in life and the public misunderstanding and censure that follow all this.

While traveling from one state to another, Maren listens to a recording left by her father instead of saying goodbye. The thoughts and words of the father are the embodiment of the very misunderstanding and rejection by society of people who differ from them, not cannibals, but rather queers.

It is also no coincidence that the States of the 80s were chosen as the scene of action, this is the time when minorities actively fought for their rights and began to openly declare themselves, but American society at that time still rejected such people, who, in their opinion, were no different from cannibals. Because of this, not everyone could accept themselves, their nature, and even Lee (Timothy Chalamet), who taught Maren to be herself, asks the question at the end: ‘Am I a bad person?’.

In the film, cannibalism is shown in a very realistic and unpleasant, even disgusting way. Scenes where people who had just died were gnawed caused unpleasant twitching every time. But with this, the director demonstrated not only how society treats queers, but also how creepy eating flesh actually looks. People feel sorry when they eat their own kind, you start to think about the feelings of the eaten, about his family, loved ones, his life, but how else? While we used to think that animals don’t experience anything, and they don’t have any family, much less any life. Of course, Luca Guadagnino is still far from Lars von Trier with his “Jack” in this comparison, but the attempt is counted.

But “Bones and All ” is not only about this, it is also about ordinary teenagers who fall into an adult world full of cruelty and uncertainty. And in this world, going from point A to point B, you should or at least try to find your place in life, understand what you are, who you want to be, or maybe you have already become.

And this classic road movie, which began with the arrival of summer, with beautiful views of nature in fabulous purple-purple shades, turns into a story about first love, when as a teenager you go to camp and meet new people, swim in the lake, walk and have fun. But summer ends, and with it a magical feeling, you say goodbye to your friends (Sally – Mark Rylance) and, as it seems to you, the love of all life (Lee), and only a feeling of emptiness remains.

The film could have turned out much better if there hadn’t been so much chewed-up text for the viewer, but in any case, it’s a journey that leaves a pleasant feeling behind.