A WEEKLY FILM NEWSLETTER PROMOTING ARTHOUSE, REPERTORY, ART, SHORT FORM AND EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA SCREENING IN THE CITY OF MELBOURNE

16 FEBRUARY 2023

Close

(Lukas Dhont, 2022)

Screening Daily

DCP Courtesy: Madman Films

Classification: M

Words by Andrew Tabacco - 16/2/23

At first the hot favourite to win the Palme d’Or before being upstaged by Ruben Östlund’s divisive but crowd-pleasing Triangle of Sadness, Lukas Dhont’s Grand Prix winner (Cannes’ equivalent to a silver medal) may be upstaged yet again. Sadly for Lukas Dhont, if the Hollywood Trades are to be believed, his one-time lock for the Best International Feature Film Oscar has fallen behind Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Despite the film’s probable pipping by the glitzy epic war drama armed with Netflix’s seemingly unending award season marketing war chest, Dhont’s new drama is a very real examination of adolescence and masculinity that will make viewers reflect and feel much more than Östlund’s mega rich and Berger’s explosions. Following on from Dhont’s acclaimed yet problematic debut drama Girl, which awarded him the Camera d’Or for best first film at Cannes 2018 for his harrowing story of a trans female teen trying to make it as a ballerina whilst going through the process of sexual reassignment surgery. This time Dhont casts his on eye on adolescent masculinity and friendship.

Close is centred around two friends Léo and Rémi, both 13-year-old boys from neighbouring families in the Belgian countryside that have ostensibly grown up together and share a bond much closer than many friends would have at that time in their lives. A friendship unrestrained by the sneering opinions and self-consciousness found in the outside world. Dhont’s camera is at first almost exclusively bound to the relationship between the two boys. We see them run in the field, fall asleep together and daydream together and when the boys enter high school, they’re even put into the same class together. Life for the two young men is as idyllic as Léo’s family’s picturesque flower farm.

Dhont’s main inspirations for the film are both from his own life and a book by American psychologist Noibe Way, Deep Secrets: Boys’ Friendships and the Crisis of Connection. In the book Way presents research conducted with 150 boys from differing backgrounds and reveals that young adolescent boys form very strong and real bonds with their male peers, but with the pressures of late adolescence and a desire to fit in, they rebel against such connections in order to maintain the age-old stereotype of masculinity. The book affected Lukas Dhont so much that he reflected on his own life and realised that he too fell victim to Way’s phenomena or as Dhont puts it in interview with W Magazine, “an epidemic of epidemic of loneliness when it comes to masculinity”. Thus in Close, it is in the haze of insecurity and puberty, high school, that Dhont’s main characters run into trouble.

Starting with an awkward but painfully familiar scene of all the students in Léo and Rémi’s class introducing themselves. Dhont is able to immediately transport the film’s audience back to their very own first day of high school, making the scene remarkably more tense and affecting. One of the students tells the class that he loves sports, another explains that his only passion is eating. Dhont subjects his audience to the mundane yet realistic outward projections of awkward teens, making the viewer or at least me, realise how odd and or silly my answer to this very question would’ve been. While the class is subjected to their first of many humiliations that face them on their high school journey, the two boys, Léo and Rémi sit together at their desk whispering to each other, with Léo then resting his head momentarily on Rémi’s shoulder.

This moment exemplifies Dhont’s very obvious talent as a visual storyteller. As Léo, who is portrayed with a remarkable realism by first-timer Eden Dambrine, rests his head on his pal’s shoulder. Which even had me as the viewer thinking it that looked a bit weird for two friends at school, it is soon revealed that one of their classmates spots them. Although Dhont chose an almost comically stereotypical looking ‘teen bully’ to be the kid to catch a glimpse at the close friend’s tender moment, the first public questioning of Léo and Rémi’s relationship is much more subtle. Instead of relying on the bully to tease the two boys, it is instead an a group of giggling girls that ask Léo and Rémi if ‘they are a couple’. In this almost chilling scene that I am certain would’ve happened sometime during my own high school journey, Léo vehemently denies the possibility of relationship stating how ‘close’ and brotherlike the two boys are, while Rémi sits silently.

This moment, which is much more jarring then when the shaggy haired and slightly chubby bully inevitably drops the homophobic ‘f’ slur on Léo a day later, turns out be the catalyst for seemingly the rest of Léo’s life. Following the interrogation by the girls, Léo quickly distances himself from Rémi. First, he pushes Rémi’s head off his chest when Rémi trys to rest his head on him. Then he starts making friends with the soccer obsessed boys in his class who couldn’t be more different than the oboe playing Rémi. Finally Léo joins the local ice-hockey team, quite literally the manliest sport I or obviously Dhont could think of.

When recounting his own early adolescent experience, Dhont states that “I started to get nervous about the friendships I had, especially with the boys, because I was effeminate and there was a lot of teasing going on. Having a close relationship with another boy only seemed to confirm the assumptions others had about my sexuality”. This experience is common in both straight and queer males, and it is through Dhont’s personal style of direction and unique ability to work with young and non-trained actors that make Léo’s desire not to be teased and ostracized by his peers so devastating and real. The microaggressions are subtle, like Léo not waiting for Rémi when riding to school together or excluding him from the hockey team. It doesn’t matter if there any romantic intentions in their relationship, this film is an introspection into the cruelty of adolescence brought on by a vulnerability and human desire for belonging. When Dhont then couples this very visceral distancing between the two boys with very little dialogue, as the two boys are too young, naïve or are simply too scared to state their true feelings to each other, the situation eventually leads to a disastrous outcome.

FilmInk’s Helen Barlow wisely argues that ‘Close is the kind of film where the plot shouldn’t be revealed’ but it should be noted that the second half of the film differs greatly from the first but is equally affecting. Following a mind-bogglingly drastic yet vaguely expected turn of events, Léo’s life is turned upside down and he is forced to consider and deal with his actions towards Rémi. What then ensues is an hour of gripping yet slightly excessive melodrama featuring Léo and Rémi’s mother played by a perfectly stoic Émilie Dequenne. It is also important to note is that this is not the first time Dhont has included an incredibly big ‘moment’ in his films, following a highly contentious self-mutilation scene in Girl which trans film critic Cathy Brennan described as “cinematic barbarism”. Although the ‘moment’ in this film is not as jarring as the one depicted in Girl, Dhont still chose to use such a drastic narrative device to push the drama in a new direction. Although the ‘bombshell’ in Close happens off camera and feels more real than the scene in Girl, it is possible that the only the 31-year-old Dhont is still maturing as a filmmaker.

It is Dhont’s ability to create such visceral moments of microaggression and emotion that his teen protagonists in both Close and Girl feel and endure that makes him such an affecting filmmaker. Dhont states that he wanted Close to be a ‘cinematic translation for this epidemic of loneliness’ and he uses these tense little moments as his translation. It is in these little moments of aggression, neglect, impatience, and awkwardness that allows Lukas Dhont to be able to tell such a universal yet tragic story with such empathy and realism.

Variety’s Peter Debruge eloquently states that ‘Dhont has a masterpiece in him but there’s an immaturity to his movies that he must first overcome’ and when that Dhont directed Girl at 26 and Close at 31, it seems he might be on the right track.

Further Viewing:

Girl (2018) – Available on Youtube Movies for $3.99

Tickets:

https://www.madman.com.au/close/

WEEKLY FILM LISTINGS

FEB 16 - 23

ACMI

Floating Life + Q and A

Clara Lew, 1996

Screening 6:30pm Thursday 16 February

Drifting Petals + Q and A

Clara Lew, 2021

Screening 4pm Saturday 18 February

They Say The Moon is Fuller Here + Q and A

Clara Lew, 1985

Screening Sunday 19 February 3pm

ASTOR CINEMA

Videodrome

David Cronenberg, 1983

Screening Daily

Kung Fu Retrospective with Cynthia Rothrock Live

Yes, Madam

Corey Yuen, 1985

Screening Saturday 18 February

+

Mystery Movie

BBBC CINEMA (GALLERY GALLERY BRUNSWICK)

Contemporary South American Cinema: The Works of Ana Vaz, Brazil

Screening Tuesday 14 February, 9pm

CINEMA NOVA

Close

Lukas Dhont, 2022

Screening Daily

Knowing the Score

Janine Hosking, 2023

Screening Daily

We Are Still Here

2023

Screening Daily
Beck Cole, Chantelle Burgoyne, Dena Curtis, Richard Curtis, Mario Gaoa, Danielle MacLean, Miki Magasiva, Renae Maihi, Tracey Rigney & Tim Worrall

Women Talking

Sarah Polley, 2023

Screening Daily

Corsage

Marie Kreutzer, 2022

Screening Daily

Tár

Todd Field, 2022

Screening Daily

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on

Dean Fleischer Camp, 2022

Limited Screenings

Triangle of Sadness

Ruben Östlund, 2022

Screening Daily

The Lost City of Melbourne

Gus Berger, 2022

Screening Daily

The Whale

Darren Aronofsky, 2023

Screening Daily

The Banshees of Inisherin

Martin McDonagh, 2023

Screening Daily

You Can Go Now

Larissa Behrendt, 2023

Screening Daily

LIDO / CLASSIC / CAMEO

Europa! Europa Film Festival

Program Here

Screening Daily

Close

Lukas Dhont, 2022

Screening Daily

Knowing the Score

Janine Hosking, 2023

Screening Daily

We Are Still Here

Beck Cole, Chantelle Burgoyne, Dena Curtis, Richard Curtis, Mario Gaoa, Danielle MacLean, Miki Magasiva, Renae Maihi, Tracey Rigney & Tim Worrall, 2023

Screening Daily

Women Talking

Sarah Polley, 2023

Screening Daily

Corsage

Marie Kreutzer, 2022

Screening Daily

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on

Dean Fleischer Camp, 2022

Limited Screenings

Kill Bill Volume I and II

Quentin Tarantino, 2003 & 2004

Screening Friday 17 February and Monday 20 February

Black Cockatoo Crisis

Jane Hammond, 2023

Screening Saturday 18 February 2pm

Tár

Todd Field, 2022

Screening Daily

Triangle of Sadness

Ruben Östlund, 2022

Screening Daily

All Quiet on the Western Front

Edward Berger, 2022,

Screening Daily

Magic Mike’s Last Dance

Steven Soderbergh, 2023

Screening Daily

The Whale

Darren Aronofsky, 2023

Screening Daily

The Banshees of Inisherin

Martin McDonagh, 2023

Screening Daily

THE MELBOURNE CINÉMATHÈQUE (ACMI)

The Assassin

Elio Petri, 1961

Wednesday 22 February

The Beekeeper

Theo Angelopolous, 1986

Wednesday 22 February

PALACE BALWYN / BRIGHTON / COMO / KINO / PENTRIDGE / WESTGARTH

Close

Lukas Dhont, 2022

Screening Daily

Knowing the Score

Janine Hosking, 2023

Screening Daily

Women Talking

Sarah Polley, 2023

Screening Daily

Corsage

Marie Kreutzer, 2022

Screening Daily

Triangle of Sadness

Ruben Östlund, 2022

Screening Daily

Magic Mike’s Last Dance

Steven Soderbergh, 2023

Screening Daily

The Whale

Darren Aronofsky, 2023

Screening Daily

The Banshees of Inisherin

Martin McDonagh, 2023

Screening Daily

SUN CINEMAS YARRAVILLE

Close

Lukas Dhont, 2022

Screening Daily

Knowing the Score

Janine Hosking, 2023

Screening Daily

We Are Still Here

Beck Cole, Chantelle Burgoyne, Dena Curtis, Richard Curtis, Mario Gaoa, Danielle MacLean, Miki Magasiva, Renae Maihi, Tracey Rigney & Tim Worrall, 2023

Screening Daily

Women Talking

Sarah Polley, 2023

Screening Daily

Aftersun

Charlotte Wells, 2022

Screening Sunday 19 February

Corsage

Marie Kreutzer, 2022

Screening Daily

Tár

Todd Field, 2022

Screening Daily

Triangle of Sadness

Ruben Östlund, 2022

Screening Daily

Magic Mike’s Last Dance

Steven Soderbergh, 2023

Screening Daily

The Whale

Darren Aronofsky, 2023

Screening Daily

The Banshees of Inisherin

Martin McDonagh, 2023

Screening Daily

THORNBURY PICTURE HOUSE

Tár

Todd Field, 2022

Screening Daily

We Are Still Here

Beck Cole, Chantelle Burgoyne, Dena Curtis, Richard Curtis, Mario Gaoa, Danielle MacLean, Miki Magasiva, Renae Maihi, Tracey Rigney & Tim Worrall, 2023

Limited Screenings

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on

Dean Fleischer Camp, 2022

Limited Screenings

Triangle of Sadness

Ruben Östlund, 2022

Limited Screenings

The Lost City of Melbourne

Gus Berger, 2022

Limited Screenings

Casablanca

Michael Curtiz, 1944

Screening Saturday 18 February