Close

close surprised me so much... i personally haven't heard anything before this film was announced and had only read the synopsis so i expected a lady bird-esque friendship falling out movie but now with a demographic you don't necessarily see it with: adolescent boys. i was so so wrong. close is something that i will revisit not out of being unable to understand some parts but because i think it hit home a lot. growing up as a guy obviously also comes with its own set of difficulties. i can't count the times i've felt heartbroken of losing the dynamic i had with male friends because we all quickly had to grow accustomed to the toxicity of cishet masculinity. how emotionally-starved so many of us were and how unsafe it was really to show any emotions besides joy and anger lest we become ridiculed by our peers and family. im just glad that despite this, close does not choose to only show this side of masculinity but also how it can be used to resolve these failures imparted onto young men and boys. that in masculinity there is kindness; those that are found in sharing beds, playing with swords, and a firm hand on the shoulder close transitions from this exploration of male adolescence to an examination of grief and the cruelty of losing and how the world does not stop and see what has been lost but continues to trudge forward leaving so many people behind. how do we move past everything? when figments of their existence remain suspended in time in the form of clothes that will never be worn again, knick knacks that will remain dusty, and the harrowing silence of their lived-in rooms. close is one of my favorite films that i watched this year with standout performances from the two child actors making their debut: Dambrine and De Waele who i think showed so much heart and depth in their roles and Dequenne who broke my heart so many times with just the way she expresses using her face alone, what a gifted actress. shout out to the sound design team for putting that eerie droning noise in uncomfortable moments!! it made me shudder multiple times throughout the film.