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heart-wrenching
predictable yet relatable
the score, the setting, the story
All very beautiful but a tad predictable

Rating: 4 out of 5.

A queer coming-of-age story that brings about an emotional twist. We are introduced to Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele) as they continue to enjoy their youth – playing together, running through flower fields, admiring musical talents, or Leo’s lack of it. They even share the pair’s motherly love, mostly one-sided from Remi’s mother to Leo, almost as if he’s her second son. The two are inseparable, whether through friendship or love.

Both Dambrine and Waele, as newcomers, allow Belgian director Lukas Dhont to emphasize the joyful yet authentic innocence of the pair. Terrified of being outed and not keen on being seen as queer in school, Leo distances himself from his lifelong friend. The act seems subtle as the questioning from meddling classmates begins as to whether the boys have more intimate feelings towards each other given their closeness. The questioning kickstarts a chain of devastating consequences. Most young people are often inquisitive, but the girls seem to go from questioning to teasing to bullying within a few sentences, and by that time, Leo is horrified.

Leo picks up sports as a way to distance himself, pushing Remi to the fringes of the school’s social life. The brutality of Leo’s silence is confusing and damaging, something that Remi has an inability to handle, equally pushing himself into fits of rage and ultimate isolation before a tragic event that is heartbreaking and predictable but still carries an emotional weight that resonates with the audience.

Heartbreakingly and predictably (even if we know where the story is going), the scene on the coach doesn’t need scripting. The context and emotions tell us everything we need to know about the fate of Remi. This is the beauty we have with Dhont and the cinematography; it’s subtle, delicate, and intimate throughout, allowing the emotion to carry where words would simply muddy the intensity.
We see an ending where Leo looks over his shoulder, the first time he acknowledges he’s alone. He’s said it previously but he’s never physically looked behind him. He’s always known Remi would be there, cycling to school, running from pretend soldiers or his family, even extending to each other’s parents to chase them through one of the many gorgeous fields this film is set amongst.

This time he understands he’s running without purpose; there’s no one else with him, and it’s as if he’s forgotten he’s not with Remi. He stops, as does the film on this realization. Overall, this is a gorgeous film, with clever hints throughout the soundtrack and accompanied by clever camerawork, undoubtedly Clos is an emotional story.