Sebastian - SIFF [2024]
Film
This film was viewed at the 50th Seattle International Film Festival
Sometimes art imitates life, sometimes life imitates art.
For Max (Ruaridh Mollica) it's a bit of both. Creating a vicious feedback loop that sends him deeper into an abyss of self-destruction in Mikko Mäkelä's dark drama, Sebastian.
While working as a writer for an LGBTQ magazine in London, Max begins researching for his upcoming debut novel. The premise focuses on a sex worker named Sebastian, navigating a life of sex work on psychological and physical levels. Co-workers and Max's boss believe Sebastian to be a work of fiction—a complex character created in Max's mind for the sole purpose of putting pen to paper. But Max has been assuming the name "Sebastian," joining a male escort website, and moonlighting as a sex worker to gather plot lines for his novel.
Max's alter ego is where Sebastian blurs the lines between the exploitative and the exploited. It also happens to be where Max flirts with the status of anti-hero. Some of his clients are lonely, lost souls yearning for intimacy, whether these men aren't out yet, or they haven't had an intimate moment in years. The soft, tender interactions resulting in a new chapter for Max's novel feel like nothing other than exploitation. But on the flip side, some clients are exploiting Max as a sex worker, psychologically and/or physically. The varying power dynamics between Sebastian (Max) and his clients are complex pieces of character building that challenge the audience's perception of Max, but it's the internal struggle of Max and Sebastian that drives the ethos of Mäkelä's film.
Max's decision to venture out as Sebastian when it is adversely affecting his personal and professional life, all for his professional pursuits, gives a tough display of how far people are willing to go for their dreams. And it often doesn't align with what the audience wants him to do, sparking dramatic appeal.
But unfortunately, it isn't all thrills in Sebastian as the story lacks direction, becoming predictably plain and visually bland. As Max returns with a new chapter of his exploits, his feedback usually results in some new creative direction for the Sebastian character. Sebastian should have more interesting experiences, fall in love, fall out of love, have conflict, all the things that make a good story. Each piece of feedback is delivered in such specificity that it doesn't foreshadow what's about to happen, but instead point blank tells you. Ultimately resulting in Sebastian's time on screen being relegated to redundancy. Which in turn, causes the big triumphant ending of Max's journey to be nothing but a cliched, trite flopped attempt at emotional explosion. There's even a freeze frame to sear the disappointment into one's mind.
Froth
Leaning on more European style beer for a London-centric piece has brought me back to one of my favorite across-the-pond focused breweries, Obec! Their English Bitter is not only a perfect pairing with Sebastian for geographical reasons and taste, but is also a dynamite brew. It has a great mix of fruity and spicy aroma/taste while holding onto a biscuity lightness, making it oh so crisp and easy to drink. Coming in at a low 4.5% ABV also keeps it from leaning into heavier territory so it can be a smooth, simple, enjoyable experience. If I haven't convinced you to try out this semi-sweet crispy, spicy concoction then I'll have you know that the Obec's English Bitter took home the Silver Medal in the 2023 Sip Magazine's Best of the Northwest Competition. Meaning, that's right, it's one of the best English ales in the Northwest.
