Not since “Lost in Translation” or “Before Sunset” have I seen a more honest portrayal of a brief encounter between two strangers. “Weekend” is a simple film; a breath of fresh air that is charming and quite personal. It’s easily relatable — and not just for me or another gay viewer, but for anyone who’s had to deal with a similar situation — and it transcends sexual orientation to become a universal story of powerful human connection. I’m not sure if this is an autobiographical or semi-autobiographical film, but it was apparent that director Andrew Haigh based this off of some part of his life — It’s far too personal and vivid to be completely fictitious. The strong characters and performances from the two magnificent leads really make this film what it is. It’s a beautiful yet heartbreaking story that is completely real and bears no pretension like other films of this nature. There’s absolutely nothing to dislike about this movie — at least not for me. However, I do feel that even thought it may be simple, it’s still an important film that depicts an important message. Although any audience can relate to the film, it does centre around a pair of gay men, but I’d be apprehensive in calling this a gay film. I think calling it a gay film limits it to a certain audience and that would be counter-productive. For the message of the film — basic acceptance being crippled due to the world being bred into the mindset of heteronormativity — to become important, this film needs to be seen by not only gay audiences, but straight ones as well. There’s a scene in the film where Glen talks about his art installation at a local gallery that depicts gay couples having sex. He worries that the audience will solely be gay people and that straight people will be warded off by their preconceived ideas of gay love. They’ll go see an installation about genocide, rape, or mass destruction, but gay sex is completely out of the question. This whole scene describes this film perfectly. It needs to be seen by all audiences, plain and simple. “Weekend” is a quaint, funny, happy, sad, and downright lovely gem that should be seen by everyone. It’s a true delight and a film that should be remembered for a long time. (A+)