Close

So visually well crafted and designed, and so well acted, especially by Dambrine, that it's a shame that its organic emotional impact is played out by the midpoint - after the major turn, the film has remarkably little to say in relation to its potent emotional themes of grief, attending guilt, and the pressures of homophobia; an emotional conclusion doesn't feel earned and therefore becomes borderline manipulative. Sorta worthwhile for the genuinely affecting and delicately told first half.

It's a narratively hollow film based on a single action, the consequence of that action and 100 minutes of filler featuring every character reacting despondently to said consequence. Visually inspired by Xavier Dolan's 'It's Only the End of the World' (both of which undeservedly won the exact same prize at Cannes), it employs the cinematic language in eye-rolling and frustrating fashion, making you wonder - if this is considered cinematic - once and for all if cinema's glory days are truly over.

A beautiful downer. To call the acting natural would be like calling the sun a bit warm or saying that I sort of like movies. The first act is the best part, and I did not expect the film to go where it went after that. While I think that the aftermath would probably be messier in real life, I nevertheless found it pretty affecting as well.

There are times when Dhont lays it on too thick—the tears are earned, but jerked a bit vigorously in the end—but his observations about casual homophobia and the mourning process are mostly astute and the performances are exceptionally good.

little jude law making you cry your eyes out

Handheld, slow-burning coming-of-age chamber drama that does decidedly little, with big emotions. If you just like your heartstrings tugged, it does a perfectly good job without making you think too hard nor insulting your intelligence. Fans of complexity and intensity are likely to find it a little slight, but would be hard-pressed to find chinks in its armor. It's a little mushy but also no-bullshit.

Possibly the most beautiful, tender friendship ever filmed. “Close” makes you long for the connection the two main characters have, though you start to forget the emotion of their friendship by the third act. Nevertheless, not the movie I thought I would be seeing, but not an unpleasant surprise either.

Jesus fuck, adolescence is no way to treat a social animal. Half an hour in, I thought I knew where this was going and was settling in for the pain. Then it kicked me in the stomach. The rest of the movie has moments where it sort of fizzles after that, but I do love that it stays in that echo; we don't, as a rule, learn and grow stronger. Especially from things that happen when we're 13.

A fascinating way of showing the grief of a close-knit community after such an unexpected loss of one of their member. The sorrow lingers and dominates the whole movie and make audiences feels it deeply.

Extremely well framed. It shows you how harsh children can be and what It can lead to. You will not feel happy after watching this.

This was a disappointment. I feel bait and switched. It is portrayed as being about the challenges of a childhood friendship torn apart in adolescence. That part of the movie is cut short after only a few minutes. Also, it should probably come with trigger warnings. If you think you might want to know those, you should read a spoiler before watching.

Stark film med trovärdiga karaktärer och handling. Den åskådliggör hur starkt påverkade barn är av grupptryck och en vilja att passa in, vilket i dessa polariserade tider är värt att påminna också vuxna om.

lindo

Much Dardennism about nothing.

Çocukluk aşkım. 13 yaşında 2 erkek çocuğumuz, dostluğu arasından su sızmaz. 1 gün arkadaşının fazla samimi bulması sonucu, ilişkilerine 1 ara vermek ister. Kavga edince kopma oluşur. Özür bile dilense de içindeki sevgi bitmez. Kırılma noktasından sonra filmin ritmi düşüyor. Ajitasyona vuruyor. Gerçeklik yönü o kadar güçlü ki, üzülmemek için zor duruyor. Bu senenin en etkili filmi. Filmin sonunda, okul biter. Güllerin içinden canım. Koşarak koşarak gel bana gel.

While exceedingly well-made the drama is too much on the forced side.

Dhont is a filmmaker who studied cinema very well. I'm sad to say that Close feels like a very calculated film. The starting point is genuine and Dhont actively thinks about his frames and his camera movement. But I sense that he was thinking of the audinece and award shows when writing and shooting. In his Q&A he said that he first imagined a lot of scenes like a dance, but then his friends made him add more dialogue and "explain" stuff. I wish he hadn't. Be bold and show us the dance.

Pretty much echoing what others have said. I thought the first half was really solid, and I would’ve rated it a bit higher if the second half were up to par. It does begin to feel likes it’s just meandering to the finish line by the end, as there’s not enough to warrant the length. Still, it’s got a good message, and the good parts outweigh the bad, even if it could’ve been quite a bit shorter to have more impact.

Despite its flaws, “Close” is a powerful film with exceptional performances and stunning visuals. Dhont’s talent is undeniable, and his ability to capture human drama at its most challenging and raw is on full display. While it may not be for everyone, those who can handle the film's dark excessiveness will find it to be a rewarding experience.

Well written with good acting performances all around, especially the main kids.

Good (Drama) Screenplay + Excellent Directing + Brilliant Acting = Emotinal Effective Film!!!

Perhaps a touch grandiose in its treatment of grief. Good performances from the children and from the actress who plays the Mom.

filmin ortasındaki malum olay olmasa gerçekten bambaşka bir seviyeye gidecekti + allahım toksik ergen erkek sosyalizasyonunu yok et

drama for the sake of drama, which is stupid. also unrealistic.

Couldn’t get me to care about any of the characters