CANNES – Lukas Dhont’s second feature, “Close,” starts off where most love stories end, and, in that respect, it begins with almost euphoric joy. Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele) are the best of friends. They play imaginary games in the forest and chase each other through the flower fields of Leo’s family farm. They are probably on the cusp of thinking such things are too childish, but not just yet. They are young, but they have a connection that undoubtedly surpasses your expectations for a friendship between two 13-year-olds. They spend practically every night together. They are affectionate in the most public ways and sometimes the most subtle. And their parents are aware of their happiness and, refreshingly, let it be.
This almost utopian bubble begins to crack when the Belgian summer comes to an end and they return to school. The pair are almost inseparable, and as kids are wont to do pretty much anywhere in the world, their classmates instantly recognize it because it seems so different (granted, it doesn’t help that they are slotted in the same classroom). Slowly, but surely, the other boys begin to pick on them. Are they boyfriends? Are they gay? Remi is shy, but Leo, the more daring and gregarious of the two, stands tall. He insists Remi and he are just friends. But as the days and weeks go by, the needling affects him. Leo wants to be accepted by the popular crew. And, at the suggestion of one of the boys he looks up to, he even decides to join an ice hockey team despite his small frame and relative lack of experience.
Heartbreakingly, Remi begins to realize something has changed between them. It first begins during a leisurely lay in the grass when Leo slithers away after Remi tries to put his head on his stomach. Another morning he awakes to find Leo sleeping on the ground instead of sharing the bed with him. And he arrives at school one day wondering why Leo didn’t wait for him so they could ride together. And when Remi comes to watch him at hockey practice Leo is visibly embarrassed and almost angry at his presence. When Remi eventually confronts him in the schoolyard, they break into a fight that would have been unimaginable months before. But that, in many ways, is only the beginning because, as you’ve been warned, this love story already had its happy ending.
Dhont, who displayed an impressive artistic vision with his feature and slightly problematic debut “Girl,” has pulled off something miraculous with his sophomore effort. With a tragic centerpiece that could quickly descend into manipulative melodrama in the wrong hands, the 31-year-old filmmaker lets the story play out beyond the expected narrative beats. Leo is barely a teenager. He does not process what has happened in a predictable manner. And sometimes the quietest pain is the most excruciating.
Inspired by his own childhood and teenage friendships, the openly gay Dhont could not have been aware that the film would arrive, at least in the United States, as gay kids and teenagers unsure of their own sexuality find their lives subject to legislative persecution, such as Florida’s recently passed “Don’t Say Gay” law or activist school boards removing the most innocuous books with any hint of gay content (among other subjects) from school libraries. In truth, “Close” takes place in a European setting where the parents and school teachers are not demonstratively part of the problem (although, to be fair, there are a number of EU member states where they would be). Instead, the film depicts the age-old tale of Remi and Leo’s peers projecting their own fears and insecurities onto their relationship. The fact so many kids will have it even worse off due to the recent string of anti-LGBTQ+ laws gives the proceedings another layer of unintended melancholy.
Frankly, some viewers may not view Leo and Remi as young LGBTQ+ teens. Or perhaps they will assume just Remi is. Or perhaps just Leo. It doesn’t matter because Dhont is putting the societal pressure of toxic masculinity under his camera’s microscope. Why can’t the two boys have an intimate friendship without their peers questioning it? Why does it have to be judged as something so fearful in their eyes? Dhont doesn’t have an answer, but he doesn’t have to. He’s illuminating the real-world scenario that should be enough to open viewers’ eyes. Whether he’ll be preaching to the choir is another question entirely.
Beautifully shot by cinematographer Frank van den Eeden and featuring an exquisite score by composer Valentin Hadjadj, the film truly triumphs thanks to the performances from newcomers Dambrine and De Waele. The former, in particular, has to carry much of the film on his shoulders but is almost effortless in doing so. While significant credit goes to Dhont’s direction in this regard, Dambrine has a natural expressiveness and grounded demeanor that is often striking.
If it’s not obvious already, “Close” transforms into something of a tearjerker. When and how it hits you is a testament to Dhont’s skills as a filmmaker. There is no one moment. It could be one of many. And that, frankly, is a truly remarkable cinematic feat. [A-]
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