“Benjamin” opens on a film within a film, the long-awaited sophomore feature by thirtysomething Irish director Benjamin Oliver (Colin Morgan), whose once-clamorous career buzz has slowed to a murmur. The scene we’re shown looks promising enough: a tartly worded lovers’ argument between two men, one played by Benjamin himself, diffidently explaining his existential struggles with the very concept of romance. The film, titled “No Self,” turns out to be semi-autobiographical account of the director’s gay dating troubles in modern London; the same is true of “Benjamin,” which is self-effacingly written and directed by gifted British comedian Simon Amstell. This doubling creates a wry hall-of-mirrors effect: Amstell sees himself in his protagonist, who in turn would like to see himself that clearly.
In the final edit, Benjamin screws up his film, muddying a simple relationship story with pretentious, unrelated spiritual noodlings involving a Buddhist monk — to the exasperation of...
In the final edit, Benjamin screws up his film, muddying a simple relationship story with pretentious, unrelated spiritual noodlings involving a Buddhist monk — to the exasperation of...
- 7/21/2020
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
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