This queer relationship and fluid sexuality form the core premise and emotional driver, with multiple explicit sex scenes between the men highlighted in reception and sparking the film's NC-17 rating controversy. Director Ira Sachs, a queer filmmaker, has described the work as an honest, unashamed depiction of messy modern desire and relationships rather than any activist project.

No race- or gender-swapping of established characters occurs, no dialogue addresses systemic oppression or identity politics, and casting of diverse actors fits the original story's Paris setting without clashing with source material. Reception shows critic praise for performances and humanism alongside audience focus on narcissism and drama, with backlash limited to the ratings board's handling of gay content rather than claims of woke messaging. The representation is prominent and central but remains personal storytelling without overt social justice framing or lectures.