Cannes breakout ‘Close’ tells of innocence and grief

“Close “is a crushing story of grief told with grace by Belgian director Lukas Dhont. At its heart is a friendship, loving and deep, between two 13-year-old boys, Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele), in the countryside.

It is summertime when we meet them, playing and dreaming and out of breath running through fields of colorful flowers and biking on idyllic dirt roads. They are affectionate and sweet. At their frequent sleepovers, Leo delicately blows on Remi’s neck before they close their eyes. He watches Remi with pure adoration as he practices the oboe. One imagines they are not too far away from being more physical with one another, but for now, it’s just pure intimacy.

It’s a beautiful and confusing and sometimes embarrassing moment of life and friendship that girls know all too well, but rarely is this sort of

pre-sexual intimacy depicted with boys on screen. By 13, at least in past generations, many boys have already been societally shamed out of such public displays of tenderness with their own gender.

Leo and Remi’s peaceful, private summer comes to an end when school starts and their classmates immediately single out the pair for their closeness. They aren’t ashamed at first but soon become aware of the gaze of others who want answers. Some girls ask if they’re together. Leo says no, they’re just like brothers.

And the boys notice too, and soon Leo is angry and decides to distance himself from Remi. He starts playing sports and making new friends. And one morning he doesn’t wait for him to ride bikes to school together. These sort of slights and subtle changes are the stuff of tragedy for any young person.

“Close,” an A24 released in theaters Friday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for, “thematic material, suicide, brief strong language.” Running time: 105 minutes.