THE STORY – A young gay man looks to define his identity through various trial-and-error attempts at vibing with different groups of friends.
THE CAST – Joshua Griffin, Tega Alexander, Ed White, Reece King, Lincoln Conway, Robbie Bellekom & Hi Ching
THE TEAM – Bertil Nilsson (Director/Writer) & Joshua Griffin (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 83 Minutes
Coming-of-age and self-discovery films abound at TIFF and this year is no exception. The new film “Masc,” the debut feature of Swedish director Bertil Nilsson, is one such example. The story centers around Robin (Joshua Griffin) a young gay man of color who is on a journey of self-discovery within London’s many subcultures. Unfortunately, despite Nilsson’s obvious sincerity and best efforts, it is not at all clear that neither Robin nor the audience discover anything after the crisp 83 minute runtime.
TIFF explains that, to tell this story, director Nilsson drew from his own experience as a neurodivergent gay man navigating the different demands of masculinity. But it is hard to see a lot of Nilsson’s experience in “Masc,” at least not in its main character. While the title and Nilsson’s stated history suggest that this movie is in fact about masculinity and how gay men confront it, that story did not ever really appear in “Masc.”
The movie is told in five short pieces. In each of them, Robin interacts with a different group for various facets of his life. For example, in the first, he is clubbing with his friend. Robin is good looking and quietly self-confident. His best friend, played by the equally confident Reece King, gives him advice on sex and drugs, but then makes a pass at Robin, which Robin rejects. The friend, dejected, asks if Robin is even gay or not. This feels less like a challenge to Robin’s masculinity or an attempt to define it and more like a challenge to any notion that Robin is not masculine.
The same thing happens in another episode, which focuses mostly on Robin’s interaction with blue-collar, working-class colleagues, with whom he develops a playful rapport and banter. The straight colleagues talk about sex and women, but do not bat a single eyelash when Robin reveals he was hooking up casually with a “bloke.” To the contrary, the lewd comments continue entirely unchanged. If Robin is feeling challenged in his masculinity, or as if he is being made to conform, or if Nilsson himself felt pressure under such a situation in his real life, none of that is obvious or even apparent to the audience. All the opposite is true – Robin is supremely confident in his own skin, and Griffin’s assured, sly smile is all the confirmation needed.
Perhaps the problem with “Masc” is the way the festival is presenting it, as some form of exploration of manhood or manliness. Robin does not seem interested in those themes or topics at all, he simply goes about his life with a tender, unassuming smile that suggests he loves the world and those around him. Contrary to the film’s description, nothing at all indicates Robin is trying to conform or fit in. He fits in awkwardly with each group he’s involved with, but he’s either unaware or disinterested in the divergence, whatever the reason; there is little tension to feel from the movie’s various sub-pieces. If only we could all live as chill as Robin does, particularly at that young age! In another chapter, Robin interacts with yet another group of (non-gay) friends, only to run into his now jilted and now-former friend. All of this is to say that “Masc” has little to no plot, and is more interested in exploring not the subject of masculinity, but the art of filmmaking and storytelling. So billed, “Masc” is far more satisfying when not thought of, misguidedly, as a movie about masculinity or appearances.
The TIFF curators do get one thing right about “Masc” – this is not a gay film about gay crisis or coming out. It is, simply put, a movie that is not about a whole hell of a lot. Young people in London seem to be very fluid and at ease, content with spending time with each other. In the poignant closing scene of the film, by far its best moment, we see just how much this placidity is true and feel that it is both impossible to attain in real life and something we desperately crave to emulate. The lack of plot or even any real tension may seem beside the point by then; the film is nothing but a nice, gentle walk in the park.
“Masc” is a soft, well-acted film whose relaxed portrait of a young gay man moving through London’s social circles is more appealing than its supposed exploration of masculinity. Joshua Griffin’s quiet confidence gives the movie an easy charm. Nilsson’s directorial sincerity and lack of any attempt to wow are also alluring and comforting. The closing scene lands with real poignancy. Still, the lack of plot, tension, or thematic clarity leaves the film feeling less like a journey of self-discovery and more like a pleasant stroll that never quite arrives anywhere.
