Close Review: Homophobia Unravels A Childhood Friendship In A Heartbreaking Oscarnominated Drama
Is there anything sadder in a boy's life than when he realizes he must be a man? You often see this manifested in real time, where a kind of carefree innocence is distorted by the general idea of what a man should be. Sports are required. Allergies are a problem. Touch another person in any way, but only if it's a macho punch or a pat on the back. Everything else is questionable.
Lucas Dunn's Belgian drama Closeness , which was nominated for Best International Film at this month's Academy Awards, uses these moments. We see 13-year-old Leo (Aiden Dumbrin) push his head away from his best friend Remi (Gustave de Weil), who lazily rests it on his chest. We see them sharing a bed on a night of partying, suddenly full of money, so Leo sleeps elsewhere. We see the panic in Leo's eyes when a group of girls ask him if he and Remy are in a relationship.
Leo and Remy are not a couple in the traditional sense of the word. As far as we know, sexuality was not a factor in their relationship until their peers suggested it. But when others begin to project themselves onto them, insisting that there is something unusual about their physical and emotional relationship, a rift develops between the two boys. Leo turns away. Remy is still confused and remorseful.
There is a raw sincerity to these early scenes of intimacy , played with heartbreaking precision. We tend to think of homophobia in its broadest sense: signs of protest, institutionalized violence, and the alt-right at drag shows. But it penetrates even the quietest places, distorting our perception of simple and utterly meaningless things. For a Leo, just being around Remy for long starts the gears turning.
Unfortunately, during his journey, Close began to paint in larger strokes. There is a sneaky twist in the middle that is coldly calculated from which the film will never recover. Dont's paintings are powerful and grand, and the charming, naturalistic performances of up-and-coming actors Dabrin and De Wel are believable, but the tone separates the two parts of his film. The silent gaze of estranged friends gives way to extreme drama and heavy symbolism, as if the everyday horrors of growing up need real horror to be cinematic.
Director: Lucas Dunt. Cast: Aiden Dabrian, Gustave de Waele, Emily DeQuinn, Leah Drucker, Kevin Janssens. 12a, 104 min.
"Off" at the theater
