Close: An exceptional film of empathy and vision

Kris Dewitte Menuet/CannesDirector Lukas Dhont has followed up his film Girl with the 'tear-jerkingly sweet and tender' buddy story Close, writes Nicholas Barber.If there was a prize for prompting the most sniffles and sobs at the Cannes Film Festival, the runaway winner would be Close, a devastating Belgian coming-of-age drama co-written and directed by Lukas Dhont. Its heroes, Léo (Eden Dambrine) and Rémi (Gustav de Waele), could be the dictionary definition of youthful freedom and possibility. First seen racing through the idyllic commercial flower fields owned by Léo's family, these grinning, glowing, skinny 13-year-olds appear to have inexhaustible energy and boundless joy. Best of all, they have each other. As close as brothers, they're happy to use one another as pillows as they nap on the groundin the summer sunshine, and at night, they're happy to sleep side by side in Rémi's bed, where Léon whispers improvised fables about duckling and lizards. Their affection is tear-jerking...