Lukas Dhont’s “Close” will probably nab an inevitable Best International Film nomination. It’s the kind of well-directed film that is not in the least bit “high-brow” and can win the hearts of mainstream audiences and voters.
With that being said, Dhont’s film was released today in France and it’s gotten a very middling response from critics on Allocine (the French equivalent of Rotten Tomatoes). It currently has a 3.3 score, based on 34 reviews.
From Cahiers du Cinema’s one-star review:
“As moving as it is, this reduction of life into a symbol, of the cinema into a lesson, of the character into a pawn of destiny takes place at the turn of the most cruel deus ex machina imaginable, the reasons for which and the absolution of any responsibility.”
Dhont’s childhood drama has won Best Film awards at the Sydney, Mill Valley, Hamptons, Chicago and Montclair film festivals. If you remember, “Close” also won the Grand Jury Prize at this past May’s Cannes Film Festival. This coming off successful showing at Telluride and Toronto.
However, i was mixed on the damn thing when I saw it at Cannes. I found it just didn’t earn its manipulative tears.
There’s a way to tell this story, but this is not it. The 31-year-old Dhont is an incredibly talented filmmaker, he knows how to frame and move the camera with the kind of agility and finesse that makes him someone to watch very closely in the years to come. His ability to tell a story in tasteful ways is a whole other thing.
The film grossed only $205M against a $150M budget, losing Paramount a significant amount of money. It did, however, gain a decent following on streaming, but the financial risk for a sequel is ever-present.