Lukas Dhont’s tender boyhood drama ‘Close’ stirs Cannes

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

CANNES, France (AP) — Lukas Dhont’s sensitive coming-of-age film “Close,” about the tender friendship of two 13-year-old boys whose bond is tragically separated, has provided a late, emotional wallop at the Cannes Film Festival. “Close,” the Belgian director’s second film after his controversy-generating debut “Girl,” has emerged as one of the standouts at Cannes, and one of the most poignant. While heartbreak in film is usually expressed through romantic relationships, Dhont’s movie traces the painful fallout of two exceptionally close boys who drift apart when their intimacy is ridiculed. “Close” is in competition at Cannes for the Palme d’Or, an award some are predicting he’ll take home Saturday.