‘Close’ is a drama that follows the intense friendship between two thirteen-year olds - Léo and Rémi. The relationship is disrupted and Léo has to learn to cope with that change.
Léo and Rémi are shown as very close friends, spending their free time together, with Léo sleeping over at Rémi’s more so than his own house and having dinner with his family. As the summer comes to a close, the boys resume their studies.
At school Léo and Rémi are asked if they are together. Perceiving the question as a slight, Léo starts distancing himself from Rémi. Over time the two grow apart, with Léo starting ice hockey practice and befriending other boys from his class. Léo and Rémi have a fight in the school yard after Rémi confronts Léo about pushing him away.
After some time, Léo goes on a field trip with his class, with Rémi noticeably absent. On their return, the kids are asked to gather in the school gym with their parents. Léo senses that something is off, and his mother Nathalie tells him that Rémi is dead.
Distraught, Léo runs to Rémi’s house and later returns home. The children are counselled at school, but Léo does not participate or share his thoughts. A funeral is held, after which Léo refuses to go to the wake at Rémi’s house.
Léo carries on as normal, but often sees Sophie, Rémi’s mother, and tries to avoid her. Unable to do so, as the two families are close, Léo finally goes to Rémi’s house to look for hints of why Rémi committed suicide. Finding nothing, Léo leaves after Sophie asks him if he knew why this had happened.
After some time, Léo turns up at Sophie’s work. Unable to contain himself, Léo admits to Sophie he pushed Rémi away and that it is his fault. Initially enraged, Sophie tells Léo to leave, after which she chases after him and the two embrace. The film closes on Léo looking though the windows of Rémi’s house, seeing that Sophie has moved away.
Subtle yet devastating, ‘Close’ examines the loss of childhood innocence, grief, guilt and the perception of masculinity. The strength of the film lies in its unhurried development, revealing the close relationship the boys share through their time together playing, Léo watching Rémi practice his oboe and the two integrating in each others families.
The fraternal bond between the two is misconstrued as a romantic relationship, leading to Léo becoming insecure and fearful of others perception of him. To mitigate this notion, Léo pursues what he believes would strengthen his appearance as a boy, i.e. playing football with other boys and starting hockey practice.
Mostly conveying the character’s journey through his actions, Eden Dambrine, portraying Léo, delivers a quiet yet poignant portrayal of someone desperate to be seen as a certain image of masculinity. Quite transparent in his pursuit of being seen a certain way, ‘Close’ telegraphs the sad reality of what men are expected to be, or to do, in order to be considered masculine.
As Léo tries to fit in, Dambrine manages to convey the guilt he feels for having sacrificed the closest relationship he has had with anyone. After learning of Rémi’s fate, Léo goes into shock, but ultimately becomes withdrawn and does not address the great loss. Again, through a quiet performance, Dambrine manages to convey a depth of emotion through a restrained yet saddened portrayal of Léo.
Fighting against himself, ‘Close’ examines the process through which Léo copes with the sudden loss of his best friend. Unable to avoid the dark thoughts, Léo also feels plagued by the pain that Sophie experiences, believing himself to have been the root cause of the suicide.
Almost unrelenting, ‘Close’ glides over a sea of emotion through muted and restrained performances. Unable to forego an emotional climax however, after Léo confesses his thoughts to Sophie, the film does provide relief to the tension that had seemingly been building up for the past hour and a half.
‘Close’ delivers a beautiful portrayal of youthful innocence and friendship that is devastated by the untimely demise of Rémi. Dissecting the repression of guilt and seeking to examine the depth of pain that a suicide can cause, the film walks the viewer through every element of that journey. Not looking to place blame, but rather asking how and why Léo got there, ‘Close’ is a tragic yet worthwhile exploration of the path that can lead to such loss and the journey thereafter.
Score: 4/4
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