Passages – A Racy Complicated Character Piece

In reality, not all relationships are pretty therefore not all relationships dramas are pretty. Though they are not easy and they could get messy at times, that’s life. Instead of presenting a fantasy that many audiences tend to gravitate to, sometimes they need to be brought back to somewhere closer to reality. Often, indie films are less afraid to go to those places to deliver originality and a different perspective than that of the standard Hollywood machine. That being said, they are not always for everyone and when it comes to Passages, this is no different. This racy relationship drama pushes boundaries, perhaps not as many as it was billed to be, but is certainly for more adult audiences. Unfortunately, the full potential depth and complexity of its story and characters is hampered somewhat by its short running time, clocking in at around the 90-minute mark. However, was is here is a compelling character study kept afloat by strong performances from Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, and Adèle Exarchopulos who each give it life. Rogowski, in particular, was the standout as a charmingly devious narcissist. At the end of the day, the film needed a deeper dive to establish a proper foundation for its character development.

Passages is centered around a gay couple named Tomas (Rogowski) and Martin (Whishaw) and the saga of their troubled marriage. Throwing it in a loop, the impulsive nature of the former, enabled by a tinge of narcissism, led him to fall in love with a woman named Agathe (Exarchopulos). Feeling entitled to pursue his various thoughts and feelings, in spite of his marriage and relationships with others, he had a way of putting himself first in a way that can come off as toxic. Complicated things for himself and others, he used others to fulfill his needs, emotionally and physically. Maybe he was capable of love but as the film went on, it wasn’t so clear as his flaw was his inability to process his own feelings and emotions increasingly made things worse. Making plenty of mistakes and missteps along the way, he either couldn’t see what he was doing to others and/or he didn’t care. Stuck in between Agathe and Martin, he wanted a future with both though struggled at managing both relationships. Hovering between each to try to fill a void within him, his indecision bordered on desperation.

Stringing both Martin and Agathe along, it was only inevitable that Tomas’ wasn’t going to make this complicated relationship work, however ridiculous it may be. The question was whether he would lose either or both. Ultimately, it’s hard to generate any sympathy for him as he became a leech of sorts in the lives of people trying to move forward. While Martin and Agathe slowly came to terms with who Tomas really was, his desperation grew as his place in their lives slipped away. Though unlikely, he needed to develop some maturity. Meanwhile, Martin and Agathe also had to learn to process their feelings and emotion. As toxic relationships go, there is the connection to the good of the other person in the face of the seemingly overwhelming amount of bad that came with it. And as with a lot of toxic relationships, it can be hard to get out of them. Though he may be a questionable person, there was still a draw about him. In the end, Martin and Agathe had to decide if he was still worth it as the writing was on the wall for Tomas. It was not going to end well.

As mentioned, the best part of Passages was the strong performances of Rogowski, Whishaw, and Exarchopoulos. In spite of being an unlikable character, Rogowski relishes in Tomas’ flaws while shows range in giving him vulnerability as he spiraled in a way that almost makes him likable. Audiences may not agree with all of Tomas’ actions but his charm is undeniable. Whishaw and Exarchopoulos adeptly portray the complexities of people in toxic relationships. They were simply in the right position and were ripe to be consumed by Tomas. From the outside, it is easy to judge them though on the other side, it’s also easy to see things from their perspective. Whishaw’s Martin strived for connection and that left him vulnerable. His loyalty made him stay longer than he probably should have. That devolution of his marriage was heartbreaking to watch, however, it could have been more. Exarchopoulos brought energy as she empowered the other side of Tomas as their relationship was built on a similar yet different foundation. The breakthrough for Agathe was just as powerful.

Overall, Passages is a solid character piece that is definitely not afraid to get down in the nitty gritty but with short, character-driven, stories, it needed more though the performances do help fill in that gap.

still courtesy of MUBI

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.