Authors striving for authenticity in their work often engage in extensive background research, sometimes of a firsthand nature, to get things right. However, when it comes to writer-director Mikko Mäkelä’s second (and inexplicably much-applauded) feature, I have some serious reservations about its applicability here. This tale of a talented young London-based author of award-winning short stories and magazine pieces is embarking on his first novel, an inside exposé of the lives of gay male sex workers. To find out what these experiences are like, the ambitious emerging wordsmith, Max Williamson (Ruaridh Mollica), decides to investigate the subject by becoming an escort, arranging hook-ups through an internet website under the pseudonym “Sebastian.” But, the more involved he becomes in his research, the more he becomes consumed by it, unsure how to keep control over it. Strangely, though, there are also times when he’s apparently ambivalent about it, going to great lengths to keep both his hustling work – and even his sexuality – a secret. Is he trying to keep from being discovered by his clients and writing peers, or is he a closet case who, quite ironically, hasn’t fully come to accept himself (not even coming out to his own family)? In any event, he engages in a string of diverse encounters that leave him – and viewers – wondering about exactly where he’s going with all this, including a somewhat baffling, unexpected budding romance with an older gentleman (Jonathan Hyde). This plethora of mixed motivations is where the film gets itself into trouble, hopelessly meandering in multiple, seemingly contradictory directions, raising questions about what the filmmaker/screen writer actually had in mind, as well as how diligent he was in doing his homework in crafting the story. “Sebastian” thus often comes across like a series of sexual escapades with a poorly conceived story wrapped about them, many of which end up falling back on well-worn, outdated gay cautionary tale tropes. The film also incorporates some implausible developments involving the publishing business, stretching the picture’s credibility even further. In light of this, then, it’s hard to fathom how and why this offering has received as many accolades as it has, especially as a potential candidate for awards season recognition. In my view, this release needs major retooling, not only to provide a more focused narrative, but also to strengthen its character development to something more believable and something that generates a more viable audience connection. To be sure, there are many fine LGBTQ+ movies out there these days that are genuinely worthy of praise and recognition – but this overrated production certainly isn’t one of them.
