Andrew Haigh is one the most inspired out-gay award-winning filmmakers of his generation, although back in 2009 his career got off to a shaky start with his first movie “Greek Pete”. This documentary of a scrawny looking British rent boy who had the most uninteresting of lives was as about as erotic as a Sunday School Outing and one big yawn from start to finish. Who knew then that Haigh would re-emerge two years later with “Weekend” which became one of the definitive queer movies of the decade.
Next on his schedule was the HBO TV series “Looking” about three gay best friends who navigate life, relationships, family, and careers in modern-day San Francisco. The series was hailed as been one of the most enlightened and relevant LGBT programs on TV, with Haigh was its Executive Producer and also wrote and directed several episodes. Yet despite it’s wild popularity HBO decided in its wisdom not to renew it for a third season, and allowed all the story strands to be tied up in one 2 Hour Special that Haigh has written and directed and that is due to be aired later this year.
For his third feature film “45 Years” Haigh has made yet another intimate drama, but unlike the previously two this time his subjects are neither young or gay. His story here centers on a retired middle-class couple leading a rather slow-paced idyllic life on the Norfolk Broads in England. Kate Mercer (Charlotte Rampling) and her husband Jeff (Tom Courtenay) are making plans to celebrate their 45th Wedding Anniversary at the end of the week. This most gentle of marital dramas between this quintessential English couple never ever wanes due mainly to the performances of the two superb veteran actors who add both such warmth and also pathos to their roles, and for Ms Rampling has garnered her a Best Actress Oscar Nomination.
With 45 Years still playing out in movie theaters, Haigh has announced that his 4th feature film will be a biopic on the legendary out-gay designer Alexander McQueen who so sadly took his own life six years ago aged just 40 years old. The movie will be scripted by Brit playwright Chris Urch and produced by Damian Jones.McQueen had a meteoric rise to the top of the fashion industry and before becoming one of haute couture’s brightest stars, this visionary was voted British Designer of the Year four times. It was evidently quite a troubled existence which makes it even more crucial than usual that the story is in an inspired and talented pair of hands that will do justice to McQueen’s story. Haigh is therefore a perfect choice, and this will sure to become one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year.
