The most charming romantic comedy of the season is sadomasochistic

Pillion It is the English word that designates the rear passenger on a motorcycle, what we would call the packageBy metonymy, in the slang of gay biker subcultures, it also refers to the passive figure in relationships based on dominance and submission. Because that is the context in which this unexpected romantic comedy unfolds, about a conventional young man, Colin, who falls in love with the leader of a biker gang, Ray. Harry Lighton's first feature film is based on the novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, to turn a few expectations on their head.

The film begins like any other British social comedy, with Colin and his working-class family singing Christmas carols in the local pub. To everyone's surprise, a very handsome young man asks him out on a date. The film initially plays in the territory of this new wave of British cinema. queer which generates identification with the protagonist through tenderness. It's easy to connect with Colin's excitement and insecurity at the prospect of meeting a hunk like Alexander Skarsgård. With humor as a balm, the film unabashedly takes us into another realm that, at first glance, might not seem destined for a general audience: the world of BDSM culture.

The appeal of Pillion It's how he frankly approaches a relationship in which both members must step outside their respective comfort zones: Colin must discover if he enjoys being dominated, and Ray may have to experience the pleasure of affection. Lighton knows how to maintain the tension between these two poles without falling into excessive complacency at the end. By the way, who would have thought that one of the actors with the brightest future in the industry would be... Harry Potter Could it be Harry Melling, splendid as Colin? Without underestimating the conviction with which Skarsgård chooses roles that, like Ray's, dismantle the idea of ​​traditional masculinity associated with his physique.