Pillion

There are independent films out there and there are independent films that basically live on the cusp. As for the film, "Pillion", an unorthodox indie film that is unapologetically is s portrayal of the underworld of a biker's lifestyle and their pillions who ride behind them on the bike. There have been some other indie films that delve into the seedy gay scene, either partly or wholly, i.e. "Midnight Express", "Cruising", and others, but this is definitely a seedy look at that particular lifestyle. 

Colin (Harry Melling), a weedy wallflower letting life pass him by, meets Ray (Alexander Skarsgard), the impossibly handsome leader of a motorbike club, who then takes him on as his submissive. Ray uproots Colin from his dreary suburban life, introducing him to a community of kinky, queer bikers and taking all sorts of virginities along the way. But as Colin steps deeper into Ray's world of rules and mysteries, he begins to question whether the life of a 24/7 submissive is for him. Has he found his calling, or simply swapped one form of suffocation for another?

Others to round out the cast are Douglas Hodge as Pete, Colin's dad, Lesley Sharp as Peggy, Colin's mum, Jake Shears as Kevin, Mat Hill as Steve, Nick Figgis as Don, Zoe Engerer as Don's wife, Jake Sharp as Chigs and Jacob Carter as Cousin Roy.

This was directed with grit and subtle intensity by Harry Lighton (shorts). Even though this is this filmmaker's first outing as a feature film director, his amount of shorts certainly was able to serve him well since this was directed with such subtleness and intensity as he was able to encourage his actors to dig deep in finding the characters in themselves. I can easily see him behind the camera in future shorts where he has proven himself, and possibly directing another feature film if given the right vehicle. It was written also by Harry Lighton (shorts), based on the book "Box Hill" by Adam Mars-Jones. I can't be positive of the thoughts going on in Lighton's mind when constructing this script since the film had a tendency to convey the 'lostness' of these two men as they grapple with this particular lifestyle, especially that of Colin. But even with that of Ray, there seemed to be that underlying difficulty with his sexuality where so many aspects in his life was so stoic and overly serious. Some would say that I don't understand that life--and I don't, however there are times in our lives where we can and do act human. There were times Ray would lighten up, but most of the time, he lived an extremely lonely life. As for the writing, it did have some sequencing issues and became, at times, disjointed, but all in all, this being his first feature film screenplay, he did well considering this lifestyle must be difficult to write about and be convincing. The best thing about this is the acting by both Skarsgard (Ray) and Melling (Colin), which were very convincing roles. 

Being the extreme film it is, this is definitely not a film for all to view hence the not-rated (NR) rating, but if this suits your fancy, you'll be at home. The acting and directing were done with deftness and expertise. You certainly don't have to see in the theater to get the full impact, but worthy if this fare is your liking.

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                          Rated NR                                           105mins.