\u201cI had sex with a woman. Can I tell you about it please?\u201d says Tomas (Franz Rogowski) to his husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw), after he returns home invigorated after a night with Agathe (Ad\u00e8le Exarchopoulos). The audience giggles at the audacity of the request, but Martin is less enthused by his partner\u2019s plea. Martin quickly turns sanguine, and it\u2019s clear that this is not the first time Tomas has been enamored of someone else\u2014and felt the need to tell his husband about it. Tomas moves out (and in with Agathe), while Martin quickly falls for another man, causing the fickle Tomas to lose interest in Agathe and find himself returning to Martin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s all very modern and incredibly European. Sachs may be American, but he spent time in Paris, where Passages<\/em> takes place, and the central trio of the cast each have a different nationality: Rogoski is German, Whishaw is British, and Exarchopoulos is French. That\u2019s not to say this type of thing doesn\u2019t happen in America (or American movies), but even in 2023, this brand of love triangle and the casualness around it on screen feels like it could only come from Europe\u2014or Brooklyn. Rogowski\u2019s Tomas feels like someone who read the Blinkist summary of The Ethical Slut<\/em>, but he didn\u2019t learn anything from skimming the synopsis. He\u2019s strikingly open about his sex and love life, but he doesn\u2019t consider anyone else\u2019s feelings in his approach to non-monogamy. He pings between Agathe and Martin, losing interest almost immediately after his attraction is reciprocated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sachs and co-writer Mauricio Zacharias have crafted a sharply drawn character study, centering on Rogowski\u2019s supremely self-involved Tomas, whom film Tiktok is sure to call a narcissist if its users discover this Mubi movie. Rogowski is incredibly charming, swinging his narrow hips and seducing the audience even though we know better. He has the type of magnetism that makes it easy to see how he keeps drawing people back to him, despite being the type of fuckboi who shows up incredibly late to meet your parents for the first time wearing a crop top. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even beyond the sex, Sachs and Zacharias are genuinely inquisitive about the complexities of desire, relationships, and emotions. They aren\u2019t judging these characters\u2014even Tomas and even when he\u2019s being a total asshole, which is most of the movie. (I am judging Tomas.) While Passages <\/em>doesn\u2019t belie the seriousness of anyone\u2019s actions or their effects on those around them, the drama is inflected with moments of awkward comedy, especially around Tomas\u2019s behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those moments in Passages <\/em>are at once ridiculous and entirely believable, which is why Sachs\u2019s film works so well. These characters feel real and identifiable in their actions and flaws, consistently compelling whether they\u2019re revealing their skin or their emotions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Passages” is in theaters Friday.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/passages2.jpeg\")
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Everything I write about Passages<\/em> makes me sound like such a square, but this NC-17 movie doesn\u2019t want to shock the audience \u2014 and that isn\u2019t the primary reaction it evokes. Sachs isn\u2019t Larry Clark. Instead, the drama of these relationships and all the sex these three people have in various permutations (and positions) is more there for honesty\u2019s sake, with long takes in both the intense love scenes and equally fervent dialogue-driven ones making the audience feel present with Tomas, Martin, and Agathe. The sex in Passages<\/em> is undeniably hot; Sachs\u2019s naturalistic approach to the trio\u2019s feverish lust is heady and thrilling, with glimpses of the act that aren\u2019t generally seen on screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\nB+<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n