This is one of the films that shocked the audience at the Cannes Film Festival and left a mark on many minds and hearts. Back in 2022, during the 75th Festival of French Film Festival, one of the feature films of the competition is highly anticipated, as it is the second film of Lucas Dont, Belgian filmmaker, winner of the Camera d’Or, FIPRESCI and the Queer Prize. Palm, for a girl in 2018.
Always trying to be interested in the consequences of society’s dictates, normative criticism and what people will say about it, Lucas Dont is interested in his second feature film in adolescent friendship, youth building society and peer pressure.
With this film, the Belgian director undoubtedly proved his talent and won over the public and critics. Rated 4.1 out of 5 by members of the AlloCiné community, this feature film won multiple Magritte awards (Belgian Césars) and attracted more than 207,000 viewers to French cinemas. Now you can (re)discover this gem on the MAX platform.
An exciting teenage story that will touch your heart
Close tells the story of two young 13-year-olds, Leo (Eden Dambrin) and Remy (Gustave de Waele), who have always been friends. Two boys who are very close, do everything together and enjoy an almost idyllic friendship.
But soon the classmates question this relationship and the pressure from others worries Leo, who decides to break up with Remy, completely upset by this change. When the unthinkable happens, Leo, unable to find answers from his mother Natalie (Lea Drucker), decides to approach Sophie (Emily Deken), Remy’s mother, to try to understand…
We recommend removing the tissues before watching Close, which is more than a moving cinematic experience. It’s a truly heartfelt rant and a fascinating look at friendship and the social construct of what is sometimes called an ungrateful age, here not in what adolescence can bring out of us, but in what it can sometimes do to us.
Lucas Dont succeeds thanks to a very intimate and delicate staging, which focuses on close-ups and the game of gaze, but also on the story’s cleverly constructed words and, even worse, the destructive power of silence.
If this adolescent chronicle could only be made to cry – even if it elicited real beautiful tears – instead, it manages to grab us, to find light in the dark tunnel of uncertainty, misunderstanding and guilt.
We also highlight the fair talent and alertness of Close’s young cast throughout this poignant and affecting melodrama, which deserves your undivided attention if you haven’t yet had a chance to catch up with this heart-wrenching film.
The movie “Closure” is available on the MAX platform.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
