"The film is a funny, sometimes tragic, and ultimately hopeful coming-of-age story. It also takes place against the backdrop of a gay biker gang that has orgies at Ray's house, sex in bucolic fields, and generally lives life without caring what anyone thinks of them. The movie itself is equally unconcerned with respectability politics."
"That's what Lighton means when he talks about 'silk gloves' - he wanted to depict the leather-kink community accurately and respectfully, including their purposeful subversions. 'It was never a part of the conversation, actually: What if this was more traditional? The novel was messy, and I like that ethical messiness. I wanted to retain that.'"
Pillion is a coming-of-age film adaptation of Adam Mars-Jones's novel about Colin, an introverted parking attendant who meets Ray, a charismatic biker, at a local pub. Their encounter leads to an intense BDSM relationship where Colin becomes emotionally invested while Ray maintains emotional distance. The film unfolds against a backdrop of a gay biker gang community that lives freely without concern for societal judgment. Director Harry Lighton deliberately avoided sanitizing the leather-kink community, instead depicting it authentically and respectfully. The narrative balances humor and tragedy while ultimately conveying hope, with Melling researching the U.K. Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club to authentically portray the leather community.
Read at Vulture
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]