Lukas Dhont’s new drama tries to be provocative in a well wrought, sincere way but loses out to shameless manipulation. Not that Close can’t strain with sheer riveting poignancy in locating heartbreak and healing in the loss of innocence in the intersection of identity and love in the tender bonds of friendship. This film in Belgian and French does though benefit from performances by Eden Dambrine as Leo, Gustav DeWaele as Remi as the leading thirteen year old boys and Emilie Dequenne as one of their moms who does some heavy lifting.