‘Close’ touches greatness, then moves in the opposite direction
For a while, “Close” is astonishing.
With uncommon tenderness and texture, director/co-writer Lukas Dhont’s (“Girl”) film understands friendships between boys and massive emotional shifts that may not be understood until long after they happen. Longtime best friends Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav de Waele) are 13 and at the point when even minor variations in development mean a ton. Comfort levels. Readiness. Things that don’t get discussed just arrive, suddenly, as fault lines. The movie understands the change that takes place when a student questions if these two are a couple, and the way Leo retreats, and the temperature change between the friends. What once was easy feels strained. Always becomes never. Certainty becomes something taken for granted.
Sadly the movie turns on tragedy and never recovers, forgoing all its good instincts and boxing itself into a story that ultimately seems more interested in creating devastating moments than investigating subtle, difficult feelings with the depth and authenticity of the first 30-45 minutes. It’s a big disappointment and a missed opportunity to make a terrific movie about friendship and change at a time when everything feels up for grabs.
C+
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