POSTCARDS FROM LONDON
UK, 2018, 86 minutes, Colour.
Harris Dickinson, Leonardo Salerni.
Directed by Steve Mc Lean.
In 1994, writer-director, Steve Mc Lean, released a film about a gay hustler and a drifter travelling across the United States, Postcards from America.
In 2018, he released this film about a gay hustler from Essex, going to London, becoming involved with male escorts and their clients. However, what makes a difference is that the hustlers target wealthy patrons who are experts in art. This group is particularly interested in the work of Caravaggio.
The film is stylised in its presentation, with framing, different chapters, discussions about baroque art, about Caravaggio and his life, his sexual activities, his clientele. And, at various times there are re-creations of Caravaggio tableaux.
The central character is gay, troubled at school, leaving his parents and moving to London, to Soho where he encounters some of the escorts. They welcome him into the group. However, he has a characteristic mental malaise, contemplating works of art and swooning as he watches them. His capacities and his acquired knowledge make him popular in the art world.
When some entrepreneurs realise that he can swoon in the presence of genuine art, he is employed, somewhat unwillingly, to test out the authenticity of various paintings, swooning or not.
The film offers a picture of a section of the sex industry in London's Soho, a fairly sympathetic portrait of a number of the characters, companionship and sexual activity as well as exploitation. And, when the hero of the film moves away from the group, there is always another young man to groom and to educate.
1. The title? The London situations? The glimpses like postcards of Jim's life? The art world of the baroque, Caravaggio?
2. The stylised nature of the film? The framing, the frames with the different chapters and headings? The scene of Jim with his parents and the artificial room on walls? The emphasis on the Caravaggio paintings? Their being re-enacted by the characters? A rarefied world of art, artists, critics, expertise?
3. The gay atmosphere of the film? Jim, his background at school, his artwork, the approach of the art teacher, his wrestling with his sexual identity? Wanting to leave home? In Soho? The atmosphere, the clubs, the video stores, the prostitutes and windows? Jim meeting the young man charging him for sleeping in his box, his being robbed, chasing and fighting? In the club, the sale address, men and women? Talking to the young woman at the bar? The encounter with the group of young men, their style, philosophy of life, profession, sex work, clients with the art background? Their studies, their expertise?
4. Jim adapting to this world very easily? Making friends with the group? The decision about Caravaggio? His studying the work in great detail, the history, names and dates? The group and their use of art and art history to make connections for clients? Jim’s first client, the discussion about past, the response of the man, Jim unwilling to take money?
5. The importance of Jim's illness, at the National Gallery, thinking in front of the picture, being revived? This continuing with the clients? His imagination during the fainting spells, the group and their composition for Caravaggio paintings, the man acting is Caravaggio, wanting to keep them quiet, criticising them? Jim waking?
6. The episodes with clients, the older man and his Roman dress, wanting to recreate St Sebastian, the discussions about the Saint, the icon, go figure? The man wanting to be Diocletian? The waiter, bringing the food, criticising the smoking? The group blinking Jim with the companion Francis bacon, his lacking inspiration, attracted by Jim, the various sessions, the paintings, wanting Jim not to talk while working, wanting punctuality, Jim sleeping in, arriving late, the artist carving up his paintings?
7. The members of the group, their different backgrounds, calm approach to their sex work? Fellowship? Making money and then retiring after some years?
8. Jim, encounter with the prostitute in the street? Later finding her to be the psychologist? The session with her about fainting, their looking at the pictures, her trying to understand?
9. The former prostitute, lack, his connections, people's admiration for him? The discussions with Jim? The sexual encounter? His wanting to use Jim with his associate to test out the authenticity of paintings, forgeries? Jim, looking at the paintings, fainting, some not authentic?
10. The group, finding a new person to take Jim's place? Jim and his future?
