FilmSnobReviews

Title: Passages
MPA Rating: Unrated
Director: Ira Sachs
Starring: Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, Adèle Exarchopoulos
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins

What It Is: Film director Tomas (Rogowski) is celebrating with his husband Martin (Whishaw). It is here that Tomas meets the alluring Agathe (Exarchopoulos). When the married, gay, Tomas begins a sexual relationship with the very VERY heterofemale Agathe it turns his entire marriage upside down. The allure of Agathe has Tomas rethinking the entire dynamic of her and Martin. As it often is the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Something Tomas is soon to find out.

What We Think: Sexy, and emotional these are the types of films we don’t often see. Ones that shine a light on human sexuality, the confusion of exploring that as well as what any of this means. Rogowski is abosolutely everything to this film. He’s he engine that moves this picture. His performance is so beautiful and nuanced. His utter confusion with who he himself is coupled with the obsession he has for both Martin and Agathe has us as an audience curious.We’re curious whats going on in his head and Rogowski does an amazing job of saying everything needed without saying a word. The interplay between our triangle is the real intrigue here. It’s all put together with an expert eye from director Ira Sachs. This was my first experience with him as a filmmaker and I can assure it will not be my last. Beautiful eye.

Our Grade: A, A film of beautiful, stressful moments. There hasn’t been a love triangle done this well in some time. The raw emotion and take on what human sexuality is, and can be. It’s fluidity and importance. A lovely experience through and through. I can both respect and appreciate that Ira Sachs was unflinching in his displaying of all the events of the film. This is simply a must see and one 0f 2023’s best films. See it immediately.