‘Pillion’ May Be One of the Most Romantic Films of Our Time [REVIEW]
4.5/5 collars
Maybe this will finally get people to toss aside 50 Shades of Grey and stop thinking of it as a good representation of a BDSM relationship. It is not. In fact, those words should not even exist close together. BDSM is not based just on power, or sex. A true BDSM relationship is based on a specific amount of trust the parties involved must have in each other. Simply put: BDSM is consent kink.
Pillion takes us into the lives of two very different people. There’s Colin (Harry Melling), a somewhat quiet and reserved man working a dead-end job and supplementing his nights singing in a barbershop quartet at a local pub. Ray (Alexander Skarsgard) is a mysterious, leather-clad biker. On the surface, it appears as if they would have nothing in common, aside from an obvious instant mutual attraction.
What happens, instead, is that they discover they are more sexually compatible than expected. Don’t mistake the BDSM setting for endless amounts of sex: While, yes, this film does have plenty of that, it shows us what a 24/7 dynamic is like, and how even something small can be considered a love language.
Desire, however, is not the same as love
Writer/director Harry Lighton takes us through all the stages of Colin and Ray’s relationship in such a deft, tender way. Though there is a sense of “ownership” over Colin, nothing about it ever feels forced or unwanted. It is a story of a man who follows his desires, and discovers something new about himself.
In fact, as their relationship progresses, both Colin and Ray begin to learn things about themselves, which could change the foundation of their relationship.
Cinematographer Nick Morris frames the film’s intimate scenes in a heady mix of devotion and desire, but also that, though consensual, the power dynamic still remains. Their first scene together in an alley is especially raw, with Morris not shying away from the reality of such acts. Refusing to give these scenes that rose-tinted “perfect” sequence films usually do is a fantastic choice here.
Ray’s true motives, however, still remain a mystery, because though it is clear that he cares for Colin, there is still a deep chasm between him and intimacy. We learn little more about him as the film goes on, and we feel Colin’s frustrations when the man that he loves refuses to openly love him back. Ray is a removed, stoic man, but we can sense that there is something inside him that wants to chip away those borders.
The tragedy of that first love
The film also is careful not to vilify BDSM, even if it is for the sake of the plot. Colin’s parents Peggy (Lesley Sharp) and Pete (Douglas Hodge) simply want their son to be happy. They want to get to know Ray, as any parent would. However, once they all finally sit down for dinner, it is clear that Peggy especially does not understand their relationship.
The ensuing argument has more to do about that misunderstanding than it does about whether or not BDSM is “good.” It is their dynamic, it is consensual, and that is enough for them.
Melling and Skarsgard play beautifully off each other. Colin’s earnestness and devotion are as tangible as separate characters themselves, showing us that he has discovered something about himself that is going to shape the rest of his life.
Ultimately, Pillion is about a first love, and the kind that you learn from. It is about self-discovery, and that dizzying descent into something new and dangerous. Colin earns his confidence, and he finishes out the film wearing it like a leather jacket.
The tragedy of Pillion is, perhaps, the wrong love at the right time. And though you will ache, it is a beautiful ache, because you met these characters and experienced their story. Like Colin, you are changed, and all the more grateful for it.
(featured image: A24)
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