François (Deon Lotz) is a man obsessed. Despite what is, to all intents and purposes, a happy enough marriage and two adult daughters both beginning to forge their own way in the world, François is a closet homosexual. But his obsession isn’t with men in general, but with one very specific, very handsome young man: his nephew. From stalking and lying to manipulation of his nearest and dearest, François will do anything to have one moment alone with his new infatuation, Christian (Charlie Keegan).
After an overly long, slow and frustratingly vague start with lengthy long shot after lengthy long shot followed by yet another lengthy long shot, Beauty suddenly develops a more urgent pace with more engaging visuals as the depths of François’ obsession become increasingly apparent. And it’s not for the faint hearted; some scenes are very graphic, with one in particular making for incredibly uncomfortable and disturbing viewing. Lotz is a strong lead in what is no doubt a difficult role, while the other performers – including Keegan – come across more as archetypal caricatures than real, whole people, which jars somewhat with the otherwise naturalistic feel of the film.
Writer/director Oliver Hermanus cleverly develops François from being an average, nice guy, to a bit of a weirdo, to an out-and-out psychotic nutter, to someone who, by the end, somehow manages to evoke sympathy. For all the horror of the victimisation of poor Christian, what really defines this film is the pain of middle-aged homosexual men who, for whatever reason, have become trapped living the false life of the “typical” straight married man with grown-up children and all the financial and social responsibilities that come with it. For Hermanus at least, this is the real tragedy.