“Departures”
(UK)
Metacritic (7/10), Letterboxd (3.5/5), Imdb.com (7/10), TMDB.com (7/10), Imdb critics review
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The hopes most of us have for romantic comedy-dramas is that everything will ultimately work out in the end. But, in real life, relationships don’t always turn out that way. So when filmmakers try to fuse those two divergent scenarios, the results can be dismaying if not handled properly. However, when approached with a skillful touch, such stories can be surprisingly entertaining, even enlightening. So it is with this LGBTQ offering about a dysfunctional romance from directors Neil Ely and Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, who also wrote the script and stars in the movie. Told in an extended flashback that begins at the story’s end, the film follows the 18-month “relationship” (a term I use loosely) between Benji (Eyre-Morgan) and Jake (David Tag). They cruise one another in an airport bar before they both depart on a trip from England to Amsterdam. Benji, a sheepish middle-aged single who has a long history of bad luck in love (as illustrated in several flashbacks within the flashback), takes quite a shine to the chiseled, masculine Jake, and he’s quite surprised to find this Adonis return the attention. But, as Benji soon finds out, Jake is also a major tease, and he can’t tell if Jake is as interested in him as he might seem. However, no sooner is Benji ready to write off this prospect when he unexpectedly pounces, leading to some of the hottest sex he’s ever had. This encounter, in turn, leads to a series of weekend trips to the Netherlands, but the duo never seems to get past the casual level where they began, much to Benji’s disappointment. And, after a year of such meetings, things never progress to anything more serious. When Benji confronts Jake about this, he explains that he never intended for anything more than just a little fun to come out of this, especially when he makes clear that he’s actually more into women than men, behavior that Benji characterizes as bisexual (though “DL” (or “down low”) would probably be more accurate). This is where matters begin to sour as Jake tries to have his cake and eat it, too, while Benji struggles to figure out his next move. But can he? Indeed, can he let go of his obsession with someone who won’t reciprocate? In many respects, one might see this story as a downer, and a good case could be made for that argument. But, given the film’s deftly comic handling of the material, the story comes off as quite humorous and even charming. It skillfully combines the weight, oppressiveness and toxic qualities sometimes present in gay male partnerships, as depicted in movies like “Pillion” (2025), and the delightful sensibilities of off-beat romcoms like “(500) Days of Summer” (2009). These qualities are further enhanced through the use of clever animation, insightful voice-over narrations by the protagonist and even a music video sequence. Be forewarned, however, that this release is not all sweetness and light: It’s explicit in both its verbal descriptions and visual depictions of sexuality, and it features more than a little foul language and elements of envelope-pushing physical abuse, so sensitive viewers take heed. But, for all of the film’s cautionary qualities, there are also life lessons to be learned from what transpires, and they help to offset those troubling aspects. From this, one might contend that “Departures” is not be for everyone (especially those outside the gay male community), but, for those who come from this part of LGBTQ society, this release may strike more than a few familiar chords, doing so in ways that are poignant, cringey and amusing all at the same time – just like gay male relationships themselves