Nominated for Best International Feature at the 95th Academy Awards, this film was the official submission from Belgium. Lukas Dhont is the writer-director who was only 30 years-old when he made it and it's only his second feature. His debut was Girl (2019), which was about a teenager dealing with gender identity and sexuality. This follow-up is a kind of spiritual sequel, as it also centers on a young teenager dealing with similar issues, but not in a direct way.
For Girl, that film was specifically about a transgender person who was 15. Here, Dhont's protagonist is a bit younger but Dhont doesn't label who his teenager is in terms of any relation to the LGBTQ community. His character might not be in that community at all. Regardless of how his lead identifies, it can't be denied that what occurs in this narrative is the result of homophobia and the legacy of it.
Eden Dambrine stars as Léo, a 13-year-old boy who lives in rural Belgium. His family runs a flower farm and Léo regularly works the fields to support his mother and father. During the summer, he mainly spends time with his best friend, doing things that typical boys do, such as running, playing pretend war games and riding their bicycles through the countryside. Léo will frequently have sleepovers where he'll share a bed with his best friend, often cuddling or spooning with him.
The narrative kicks off as the summer is ending and Léo is returning to school. Given his age, he likely is transitioning from primary school to secondary school. Like in the United States, when children go from grade school to middle school, it probably means that Léo has to go to a different building where he meets tons of new people. When he and his best friend arrive, they seem totally brand new and don't know any one there, even though others from their primary school would also likely be present.
Gustav De Waele co-stars as Rémi, the best friend to Léo. He has dark hair and dimples. He's very adorable. He's not as athletic. He's more sensitive and is in fact an aspiring musician. He plays the oboe. He clearly loves Léo in a platonic way or possibly romantically. Regardless, when a female classmate implies that Léo and Rémi are a gay couple, Léo begins pulling away from Rémi and distancing himself emotionally, which causes Rémi to fall into a depression.
The scene where the female classmate implies a same-sex romance is rather tame and Léo circumvents it. Later, some male classmates call him the anti-gay slur, which triggers him more. Belgium is considered one of the most gay friendly countries in Europe. Yes, homophobia exists even in very progressive places. This film takes place in a rural area, as opposed to a city like Brussels or Antwerp where gay acceptance is probably more readily available, so maybe this film is a commentary on the culture between the urban and the rural.
Despite the title though, Dhont depicts the two boys mostly being apart. The majority of the narrative is about Léo being separated from Rémi. The film devotes no time to the backstory of Léo and Rémi's friendship. We don't know how they met or what drew them together. Their cuddling or spooning in bed is never explained as to how it started or who initiated it. Dhont never develops the how or why of their closeness, so it's difficult for us to feel or understand the effect of their distance from each other.
It's also a missed opportunity for the filmmaker because he avoids getting the characters to talk about what separated the two boys. This film is commenting on toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity includes boys not talking about their feelings or relationships, so having a scene or two of Léo talking about his feelings, explaining why he pulled away, would have been good. Most of this film is beauty shots of Dambrine not talking but simply looking heartrendingly into the camera that it feels like it doesn't take any steps forward.
Rated PG-13 for suicide and brief strong language.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 44 mins.
Available on DVD and VOD.
