Interior. Leather Bar.

Interior. Leather Bar. is a 2013 American docufiction film. Co-directed by James Franco and Travis Mathews, the film stars Val Lauren, Christian Patrick, and Franco himself. The film is an unconventional exploration of the intersection between fact and fiction, mainstream and marginal, the spoken and the unspoken. It follows an experiment in storytelling and reflects on issues of censorship, artistic freedom, and sexual representation.

The film engages the concept of reimagining the 40-minute-long lost and censored footage from the controversial 1980 film "Cruising," directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino. Friedkin's film depicted the gritty landscape of New York's gay S&M ("stand and model") subculture, and was protested and critiqued by gay activists for its portrayal of the gay community during the pre-AIDS era. The rumored "lost 40 minutes" was supposed to contain explicit homosexual scenes that didn't make it into the final cut due to the MPAA's harsh rating system.

Relying on this cinematic urban legend, the premise of Interior. Leather Bar. is an attempt by co-directors Franco and Mathews to recreate this "missing footage." Franco, known for his starring roles in blockbusters, acts as the guiding visionary of the project, while Mathews, a director known for his work that merges pornography and art, is shown reframing the simulated action. The film stars Val Lauren as a version of himself, who's ostensibly uncomfortable with his assigned role of Al Pacino's character from "Cruising."

The narrative is interspersed with real and fictional elements, obscuring the boundaries between documentary and drama. Val Lauren's experience is the lens through which the film unfolds: as a straight actor preparing to shoot the film, he has several conversations with Franco and others around the complexities of the project, pointing out his discomfort at certain sexually explicit scenes, probing the nature of freedom of expression, identity, and societal norms regarding sexuality.

Lauren's hesitations and introspections bring a unique perspective on elucidating homoerotic fantasies in mainstream cinema. His struggle offers a thorough examination of voyeurism and the enigmatic relation between audience and representation, obliquely posing questions about hetero-normative structures in the prevailing cinematic arena.

Interior. Leather Bar. doesn't exist merely as a recreation of lost film; it rather serves as a meta-cinematic inquiry into the boundaries of art and the freedom of sexual expression. It relentlessly questions the politics of censorship and the reluctance of the film industry to honestly depict the diversity of sexual orientations.

The acting is formidable, with Val Lauren providing a riveting performance, capturing both his character and the audience in a headlock of discomfort and intrigue. Meanwhile, James Franco is no less compelling in his dual role as both actor and filmmaker. As a daring examination of uncharted cinematic territories, Interior. Leather Bar. delivers a bold statement on how films can push boundaries, initiate conversations, and challenge societal norms.

However, despite the film's focus on libertine expressions of sexuality, Interior. Leather Bar. significantly also underscores another crucial message: that the conversations we often need the most are those we are least comfortable starting. The film braves the challenge of throwing light on the role of filmmaking in transforming audience perspectives by exploring themes that are often regarded as taboo by mainstream standards.

Interior. Leather Bar. showcases Franco's and Mathews' courage in experimenting with a provocative idea can bring to the fore ignored or silenced cinematic narratives. The film may seem complex, wild, and uncomfortable, but it optimistically reckons with our collective ability to grow, evolve, and understand.

In total, Interior. Leather Bar. is a compelling watch that invites viewers to contemplate the limits of artistic expression and the dynamics of portraying sexuality on screen. It demonstrates the power of cinema not only as a tool for entertainment but also an instrument for opening dialogue and challenging the status quo. The film may unsettle, provoke or confuse, but it never fails to engage, making it worth checking out for those interested in experimental cinema.