Title: Close
Genre: Drama
Director: Lukas Dhont
Cast: Eden Dambrine, Gustav De Waele, Émilie Dequenne, Léa Drucker, Igor van Dessel, Kevin Janssens, Marc Weiss, Léon Bataille, Serine Ayari, Robin Keyaert, Herman van Slambrouck, Iven Deduytschaver, Jeffrey Vanhaeren, Hélène Theunissen, Baptiste Bataille, Pieter Piron, Freya De Corte, Cachou Kirsch, Ahlaam Teghadouini, Hervé Guerrisi
Release: 2022-11-01
Runtime: 104
Plot: Two thirteen year-olds have always been incredibly close but they drift apart after the intimacy of their relationship is questioned by schoolmates. An emotionally transformative and unforgettable portrait of the intersection of friendship and love, identity and independence, and heartbreak and healing.Lukas Dhont's tender Belgian movie is about a pair of 13 year old boys who are the best of friends - to the extent that they live almost like brothers in each others' homes.
Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele) are so tight that when they enter a new school their classmates openly ask whether they are more than just pals. At first, these suspicions only bind them closer together, but, over time, Leo seeks to gain some 'independence' from his buddy. He joins the hockey team. He spends more time with others. He changes their tradition of riding to school together. Remi, meanwhile, withdraws.
Dhont and co-writer Angelo Tijssens never play for big emotions. The viewer is invited to observe and come to their own conclusions. Dambrine and De Waele are especially good here considering the intimacy (non-explicit) required of such young actors. Dambrine has the most to hurdle from a dramatic standpoint and he acquits himself well. Actress Emilie Dequennea as Remi's mother is exceptional as well.
Dhont never gives the viewer an easy way out. There are no emphatic explanations for how the boys behave. Sometimes, the hardest truth to accept is that people's actions and reactions don't come with a tidy, simple rationale. It's a delicate balance which Dhont and his cast illustrate beautifully.
CLOSE is currently in limited theatrical release and available on VOD.
Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele) are so tight that when they enter a new school their classmates openly ask whether they are more than just pals. At first, these suspicions only bind them closer together, but, over time, Leo seeks to gain some 'independence' from his buddy. He joins the hockey team. He spends more time with others. He changes their tradition of riding to school together. Remi, meanwhile, withdraws.
Dhont and co-writer Angelo Tijssens never play for big emotions. The viewer is invited to observe and come to their own conclusions. Dambrine and De Waele are especially good here considering the intimacy (non-explicit) required of such young actors. Dambrine has the most to hurdle from a dramatic standpoint and he acquits himself well. Actress Emilie Dequennea as Remi's mother is exceptional as well.
Dhont never gives the viewer an easy way out. There are no emphatic explanations for how the boys behave. Sometimes, the hardest truth to accept is that people's actions and reactions don't come with a tidy, simple rationale. It's a delicate balance which Dhont and his cast illustrate beautifully.
CLOSE is currently in limited theatrical release and available on VOD.
