'Close to You' Is Disjointed, but Held Tightly by Elliot Page

When we first meet Sam (Elliot Page in an explosive and touching performance), he's pensive. As he walks down Front Street towards Toronto's Union Station, Sam's clearly in his thoughts, but he strolls through the city with an ease that isn't noticeable until he arrives in his hometown of Cobourg. Once here, Sam, absent any of the comfort we saw initially, almost shrinks in size. 

Dominic Savage's Close to You quietly follows Sam as he visits his family for the first time in years following his transition. While the film focuses the majority of its time on Sam, it also turns the empathetic lens to his family: his sister (Janet Porter), with whom he shared a room growing up, expresses her sadness in realizing how disconnected they actually were (and still are), and his father (Peter Outerbridge) sharing the sickening worry of being unable to protect his child. Although the power of the film lives with Sam, Savage's decision to spend time in these moments shows his understanding and thoughtfulness on the subject.

After standing up for himself against his bigoted brother-in-law, Sam abruptly leaves his family and heads back to Toronto. On his way to the train station, Sam bumps into Katherine (Hillary Baack), a friend from high school. The two had briefly reunited on the VIA Rail ride into Cobourg with little hints given that perhaps their relationship was more than friendly. Unfortunately, though, this is the most underdeveloped part of the film; their relationship isn't given enough detail, to draw audiences in nor is it burning with enough desire to compel viewers to care. 

Close to You becomes a tale of two stories: a tension-filled homecoming and an attempt at rekindling a past romance. Both illustrate a distinct aspect of Sam's life since transitioning, but the two never quite come together to create a cohesive story, and the script is mostly to blame. The transitions between the two tales feels tacked on, especially the final romantic push towards the end. 

For those who have read Page's memoir, Pageboy, many moments in the movie will be familiar — and, coincidentally or not, Close to You is the perfect companion piece to the book. Through Pageboy, Page went back, expressed and explained the journey he went on. While not a perfect movie, Close to You signals a step forward in Page's life and career — and hopefully in our culture, too.