by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
What is Elliot Page’s most personal film at this point in his career? It just might be Close to You, which explores the journey of a transgender man returning to his suburban home after years away in the city. Page’s Sam has found a new life as the true version of himself, and that life has taken him away from his family, along with the woman who he always loved. But this drama rips Sam back into his past, which was not a great place for him.
Is this story an authentic and genuine presentation of a trans man’s journey? Close to You is written and directed by Dominic Savage with Page contributing to the story, which sets up an expectation for the authenticity. The challenging piece to this film is that it feels like a string of checklist points instead of an organic story. It’s mostly conversations, which is not inherently a bad thing, but there is a distinct lack of action. Sam has a talk with his mother. Check. Then his father. Check. Then his sister. Check. Then you have a big blowup at the climax. Check. There seems to be elements missing in terms of telling a full, rich story. The parallel story to Sam reconnecting with his family is the rekindling of his previous relationship with Katherine (Hillary Baack). After a fateful interaction on a train, they soon spend more time with each other, and it threatens the life that Katherine already has. Their dynamic feels authentic, while the family dynamics comes across as hitting specific thematic beats.
Do Savage and Page’s efforts do right by the trans themes of the film? They might come off feeling more thematic and message-based than emotional and dramatic, but they still deliver. The film presents a wide range of differing opinions about transition, with the most in-your-face one being the jerk of a fiancé who spews transphobic talking points like it’s his job. Sometimes the script comes off more like social media posts than actual conversations, but the message is fortunately not lost. The interactions with the parents are some of the most poignant elements of the film. Wendy Crewson’s Miriam struggles to put the previous perception of Sam behind her, as she portrays the caring mother who messes up, but is trying. Peter Outerbridge’s Jim is the father who is the most supportive of the family, and is just happy to see his son finally happy. He even gets a speech spelling out the film’s takeaways to the other characters, as well as the audience.
But where does the film’s impact come from? The performances. Page is just incredible — the authenticity of his performance is significant. This story is so personal for Page, and his performance portrays that deeply. Baack does the best to make a bit of underdeveloped romance work, as she has strong chemistry with Page. Their dynamic is complex, because Katherine has moved on and has a family, but their progressing interactions are impassioned and complicated, with Page and Baack delivering the emotion of it all. Crewson and Outerbridge both give great performances and sell the weight of their interactions with Sam. Unfortunately, not all the performances are fully convincing. The antagonistic fiancé character feels fake, and the performance is so stiff and inauthentic that it makes the film suffer, when it is supposed to be one of the key dramatic elements.
Is Close to You a meaningful and honest presentation of a trans journey? You can tell it is a passionate and personal journey that is certainly respectful. The script could have been more nuanced and stronger to really capture the complexities of such a reunion. Page is the key to all of this, and his performance makes the experience as impactful as it is. A film that felt less procedural and telegraphed would have done even better to drive home the important message.
Rating: It Was Just Okay
Close to You is currently playing in theaters
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