Expectations were very high for this film, especially for those who had seen Girl, the beautiful debut film by the young hope of European cinema Lukas Dhont. The anticipation was amplified by the excellent reception at Cannes and a truly successful trailer.

In reality, unfortunately, you leave the room disappointed. Close proves weak in both the script and the staging and the story of the fraternal friendship between the two pre-adolescents creaks heavily in search of a why.

The screenplay cannot escape the classic traps of the story of bullying and non-acceptance. The motivations, correctly inexplicable, do not, however, follow any emotional development and the drama falls to the spectators head and neck. The behavior of the young protagonists often seems like that of an adult or how he would see it. The script never seems to move at child level.

As regards the direction, the film is filled with exaggerated metaphors that amplify a decidedly redundant staging. The metaphor of flowers, of sowing and harvesting, of rain and sun are really crude and do not go well with the naturalness with which the two protagonists are followed.

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, a story of children trying to become adults that is at times touching, at times realistic, but never completely true. Pleasant, moving, but unfortunately uninspired. Sin