MQFF NOTES: Loev (2015, Dir. Sudhanshu Saria)

It's not all that surprising that the influence of Andrew Haigh's Weekend is being felt with a vengeance in current indie queer film output. Yes, the hookup two-hander has been a bit of a staple of the queer film since the advent of digital video, but Haigh's success has pushed film makers to be a little bit more daring with their visuals and a whole lot more honest in their approach to representing modern queer life.

Loev doesn't hide its influences by any means; then director Sudhanshu Saria doesn't really have to. The mere fact that he is filming in India; that he is filming a queer love story; that he is often filming in secret; that he is filming a story without song and dance production numbers, sets his film apart. And rightly so. Loev is an impressive achievement on all those levels and others. That the final product is not only polished, impeccably acted and visually stylish but also pressingly thought provoking is a small marvel.

Truth be told, I can't think of a film since last year's Russian film, the self-immolating Stand, that has attempted a hairpin this ambitious, and even then that film signalled its direction early in the piece.

Saria is not so kind. With the help of his two charismatic leads, Dhruv Ganesh and Shiv Pandit, he effortless draws the audience into the flirtatious reunion of two childhood friends when one of the men returns to Mumbai from NYC to close a property deal. Outside their respective lives, the two bond with an infectious energy. The dynamic is vibrant, the performances are electric and the chemistry palpable. Amongst the crackle, the tension between the two men and how they plan to reconcile their attraction to their workaday lives (one with his family, the other with his boyfriend) provides an engaging momentum to the low-key drama.

Some may question the direction Saria takes Loev as the men's time together plays out. There is certainly an argument to be made that he is not completely successful in justifying his choices from the perspective of his characters (and perspective and character will no doubt feature prominently in post-screening discussions) but I'll let you make that after you've seen the film. Saria does, to my mind at least, give enough to ensure his rather violent shift doesn't sink the film overall. The performances of Ganesh and Pandit once again help immeasurably.

Once the talking dies down, I’m sure there will be few that won’t concede that Saria is doing more than simply riding on Haigh’s coat tails. Culturally and artistically, Loev brings something new to bear. It is certainly a more daring film that Haigh’s own, and manages to be daring without doing away with the free-flowing charm (well, for the most part).

A beguiling and challenging first feature.

★★★★

Trailer:

Loev screened as part of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2016.

You can check out other films from the festival here.