Close to You marks Elliot Page’s first cinematic role since transitioning, and the film tells a clearly personal story for the actor. However, it is in its more universal themes surrounding the trying and uplifting nature of family where the film really finds its stride.
The story, which Page worked closely on, follows Sam a recently transitioned man preparing to return home for the first time in four years for his father’s birthday. The exact circumstances of his departure are only alluded to, but what is palpable is the anxiety Sam feels regarding his family’s thoughts on his transition and how they will behave around him. Page does a quietly powerful job conveying these fears, and the weight with which they are bearing down upon Sam. It is not a flashy performance, and Page’s movements and facial expressions instead retain a laden energy and insularity which expresses the discomfort Sam feels at times merely existing in the world.
When Sam initially arrives home it feels as though his worst fears are being realised. There is a strange of artifice to his family’s words, and a cloying air to their interactions. Writer and director Dominic savage complements this with liberal use of tight and constricting close-ups, and during one moment when they are all squeezed together for a family picture the claustrophobia is overwhelming.
However, what then follows this initial awkwardness is a deep and nuanced reflection on the difficulty of navigating personal relationships and balancing familial loyalty against a desire for independence. Sam comes loaded with barriers and a need for space and, while it does not judge him for it, the film shows the regressive influence this can have. When Sam finally talks with his parents and siblings, he is warmed not only by how much they care but also confronted by how his own search for mental wellbeing has so negatively impacted theirs.
One of the film’s most powerful moments is found when Sam’s mother mutters under her breath ‘Show your trust not your anxiety’ and tells him ‘I just miss you’. A similar emotional punch comes when his father tells Sam that the day he finally got back in contact to say he was doing well was the happiest day of his life. These sentiments perfectly underly the reality that no matter how personal you think your struggles are they are always shared by those around you, and while shutting people out may sometimes feel, and indeed can be, important to prioritise ourselves it can also cause harm to those around us. The film beautifully and delicately embodies this dichotomy and explores all the contradictions it entails without ever inviting judgement, regret, or remorse.
While this strand of family is so deftly handled throughout the film other elements feel rather overwrought. There is a subplot involving Sam and his childhood friend and crush which feels underexplored and a bit of a distraction. This distraction then grows to become frankly meddlesome when their relationship is positioned as the film’s emotional dénouement. There is also a confrontation between Sam and one of his siblings’ partners who attacks him for being transgender. This conflict is itself well-constructed as it slowly ratchets up from some initial encoded aggression from the partner, through to a messy argument and then a storm out. However, in a film which so adroitly handles the shades of grey within family, these scenes of obtuse bigotry, while an authentic and sad reality for so many trans people, feels slightly out of place.
Writing this review now I find myself struggling to encapsulate all the ways in which the film worked for me. On some level I think the feelings it evoked are very personal and amorphous. Thus, in a way they are ineffable, and I think that ineffability is what I found most impactful. The film captures the difficulty in pinning down thoughts and emotions even with those we are meant to hold most dear. It often feels like we are on a quest of finding ways to express our innermost selves in a way others can understand. Perhaps we never will, but Close to you does a fantastic of job capturing that intent and the importance of expressing ourselves.
Release date 23rd August 2024