The unexpectedly poignant story of a relationship built on the foundation of shiny leather rain boots, “Pillion,” is something of an oxymoron in the film form. A romantic comedy made in an era defined by the dearth of viable romantic comedies (among many other things), Harry Leighton’s directorial debut can only exist in a climate in which it was made, a long way from the days of wholesome tales of amorous union.
Certainly, describing Layton’s work as a “romantic comedy” would likely set false expectations for a drama that begins with a barbershop quartet performing on Christmas Eve, only to later feature a central cameo from a screaming penis piercing, but for all intents and purposes, the film fits the bill. “Pillion” is very funny at its core, but the humor that develops from the scenario’s unexpected adjustments only serves to enhance the tenderness at the heart of a romance that drains all understanding as much as it relies on defined limits.
And it all starts with the soft, lonely gaze of Colin (Harry Melling). A shy, introverted young man who still lives with his parents—parents who are completely accepting and even supportive of him being gay, immediately throwing a potential cliché out the window—makes Colin the perfect companion for a man he never expected to be with. Ostensibly, the “pinch me, I’m dreaming” vibe comes from the fact that the buddy in question is the cool biker gang leader Ray (Alexander Skarsgård, who continues to outshine everyone who shares the screen), but soon, Colleen’s newfound romance will find entirely new ways to defy all manner of expectations.
Ray, for his part, is straightforward from the beginning, wooing Colin into an act of sexual humiliation that immediately sets the stage for a dominant/submissive dynamic that exists beyond anything Colin ever thought he could handle. But as he himself says, his new lover(?) values his “capacity for fidelity,” and it is precisely this fidelity that will be tested when the parameters of this relationship begin to take hold in a long-term capacity.
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He immediately proves that he is completely uninterested in exploiting the basic taboos around him Homosexuality For any cheap melodrama, Layton, like his co-star, pushes “Pillion” to new limits largely unseen in its own setting. The result is a delicate balance that finds as much grace as it does discomfort and humor in exploration BDSM relationshipsnever judging the practice itself, but rather questioning the need for proper communication in a dynamic that fully thrives on both parties needing to be exactly on the same page.
“Pillion,” in this regard, extracts great complexity from this broken collaboration because Melling’s aloof and ostensibly subservient demeanor makes him an ideal choice to be the subservient half in a chained-up relationship, just as Skarsgård’s domineering presence makes him ideally… well, bossy. However, the latter is never depicted as a character whose sexual arousal comes from inflicting real abuse and pain on his partner, but rather as someone who gets away with indulging in acting out a particularly authoritarian sphere. Sexual hierarchy.
However, the extent to which such an act can (or should) go is an entirely different matter, and “Pillion” gives its characters a perfectly decent position on both ends of the spectrum to interrogate the possibility — not the value — of this kind of belonging. Indeed, it is through these flashes of warmth radiating from Skarsgård’s toned texture that Lighton manages to conjure the most powerful moments of heartbreak from this scenario, as sullen eyes glow most brightly through the dim, spacey lens of a motorcycle helmet.
Because of its surprising palatability, “Pillion” is unlikely to excite audiences hitherto accustomed to depictions of atypical sexual acts on screen. Personally, I would be surprised to see a Kenneth Anger/John Waters audience giving Harry Layton their seal of approval (whip?) for a film that ostensibly attracts an audience diametrically opposed to the niche audience that finds its sexual satisfaction in this underground world. However, while these communities do not seek the validation of the outside world, no film has ever been less relatable in treating them as human beings searching for their own form of consensual love.
