night fright
by Douglas Messerli
Lukas Kacinauskas (screenwriter and director) As buvau Maksas (I
Was Max) / 2022 [21 minutes]
Max (Sarunas Zenkevicius) gets in the car with
Tadas (Matas Dirgincius), evidently an internet prearranged get together. They
chat small talk, Max taking out from his bag a small box of chocolates he
brought for his new “date.”
Tadas is reassured by the fact that Max looks even better in personal
than in did on the internet, although he thought he might be a bit taller. When
he wonders if Max is blonde, he asks him to take his hat off. Max suggests,
“Maybe later.” And Tadas reminds Max that he is only interested in LTR
(Long-term relationships), which his behavior seems to deny, not even
comprehending the acronym.
They decide to drive into nature, perhaps the famous woods outside of
Vilnius, presumably to have sex. But Max barely speaks. Tadas opens a bottle of
wine and must almost force it through his friend’s lips to relax him somewhat.
They get out of the car to kiss and follow up with sex, and Max is great
with the first kiss, but as Tadas moves to his neck, he insists he has to pee.
Finally, it looks like Max would like to kiss him, if no other reason
but express his thanks; but Tadas snaps back “forget it,” and suggests he will
drive him back home.
As they reach home they share a final smoke, strangely Max thanking him
for the “good time,” as if anyone might describe the evening of tense silences
and vague answers as being something someone might enjoy. And Tadas finally
calls him out for his obvious fraud, calling him a fake. He argues that he’s a
hot, good-looking guy, but yet everything about him is a deflection the truth.
Doesn’t he ever get tired of it?
Max admits he is indeed sick of his lies, of his inability to follow
through apparently with his desires. “I’m trying my best,” he insists. But if
this is his best, he must live most of his life still terribly closeted. Yet
again, he thanks Tadas for a date, which strangely the evening for him has
been. He has perhaps never before even attempted an internet date.
As
his “date” gets out of the vehicle he wishes Max well, but the boy turns back,
leans into the window to finally announce his name is Lukas. Tadas appreciates
the more honest name and then realizing what it has meant for his friend to
have offered his true name adds, “Good for you.”
Perhaps the gentle kindness that Tadas has shown his reluctant date will
help Lukas in the future to be able to participate in the sexual act that he
obviously is seeking. One wonders whether the author/director is hinting our
Lukas is Ace, nonsexual? Certainly, that would put a far different perspective
on the film, one with which, as I’ve expressed previously, I have little
sympathy.
Like Charlie of Joseph Biggerstoff’s film 17, he says, “I’m
sorry.” But we recognize that Charlie will quickly overcome his reservations
and soon perhaps even enjoy anal sex or seek other ways of finding sexual
pleasure. Tyler, of the 2017 film, will perhaps that very night find the kind
of boyfriend he is truly seeking. But with Lukas we are not certain. Such fears
still held so late in his youth are hard to cast off. He couldn’t have found a
better friend than Tadas, however, to help move him in the right direction. And
others clearly would not been so beneficent.
Los Angeles, December 3, 2023
Reprinted from World Cinema Review (December
2023).
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