im not the best at writing reviews honestly but i think i can try and just give a bit of my thoughts this film is so much more than just "two boys being gay," and i dont really understand why so many people, especially straight audiences from what ive seen, reduce it to that. i think it can absolutely be interpreted as a queer film, and i have no issue with people viewing it through that lens. what frustrates me is when that becomes the only thing people take away from it, ignoring everything else the film is trying to say. personally, i dont even think the question of whether leo and remi were gay is the point. i spent the film watching two kids who shared an incredibly intimate and meaningful bond. whether that was platonic love or something more, we'll never know because they never got the chance to explore it. and honestly, we dont need to know. their connection was beautiful regardless. in some ways, the audience's obsession with labeling their relationship reminded me of the kids in the film. for me it almost felt like the audience jumping on the "gay gay gay" bandwagon in slightly more socially acceptable wording is a parallel to literally real life. thats where the pressure started. thats what made leo begin questioning everything in the first place. even if there were romantic feelings involved, the endless debate over finding a definitive answer feels less important than appreciating the bond they shared. that was more about my frustration than the film itself, though. something that made me really sad was noticing how leo started wearing greyer colours after remi died. it felt like all the colour had disappeared from his life along with him. another thing i thought was done amazingly was how after remi died, we never really saw him again. as sad as it was, that was the point. i think it helped me resonate with leo so much more. if i felt that empty not seeing remi again, imagine the void leo had to live with every day. the cast removal scene was devastating. you can genuinely feel everything leo is experiencing in that moment: the guilt, the grief, the frustration. all i could do was feel his pain and cry alongside him. honourable mentions i almost forgot were the scenes with the brother and remi's mother. both were incredibly well done and had me crying too. overall, i thought close was a beautiful film about friendship, love, grief, masculinity, and the way people can destroy something precious by forcing it into a box. as long as its approached respectfully and without fetishization, i think different interpretations can all be meaningful. mine just happens to focus on the bond they shared, because to me, thats the heart of the film. also happy pride !
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