#TIFF24 Review: Paying for It (Platform)

By John Corrado

The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5th to 15th, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.

In her latest film Paying For It, Toronto filmmaker Sook-Yin Lee crafts a tender adaptation of her former partner Chester Brown’s autobiographical 2011 graphic novel of the same name, which charted the end of their relationship and his search to find intimacy by paying for sex.

Chester is played in the film by Daniel Beirne, and Lee’s stand-in is Sonny, played by Emily Lê. At the start of the film, the two of them are living together in Kensington Market, when Sonny announces that she would like to try seeing other people. This opens up their relationship, leading Chester to start experimenting with paying for sex, sending him into the underground world of finding sex workers and compensating them for their services. The story mainly follows Chester’s exploits as he tries different escorts, while Sonny navigates her own dating life.

These are similar themes that Lee has explored throughout her career as a director and actress, so it’s fitting material for her latest work (though not as outwardly bawdy as the 2006 film Shortbus that she infamously starred in, there is still some fairly explicit sex depicted here). And because Brown’s graphic novel was partially based on her own life, Lee is able to bring an engaging, autobiographical quality to Paying For It, even though it is predominantly Chester’s story.

Lee’s film mainly works as a relationship dramedy, offering a portrait of unconventional partnerships before they went mainstream. While working on a limited budget, Lee manages to evoke the grungy vibes of Toronto in the early-2000s. She captures the awkward, funny moments that naturally accompany Chester on his journey, but also the sadder ones as well. It’s anchored by a sensitive performance from Beirne, who brings a recognizable humanity to his portrayal of a man seeking a feeling of intimacy above all else.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)