CLOSE: Extremely Watchable, But Frustratingly Shallow

Close, directed by Vicky Jewson, is an action thriller that chronicles female bodyguard, Sam (Noomi Rapace), and her mission to protect a young heiress, Zoe (Sophie Nélisse). Zoe is given all of her father Eric Tanner’s shares of phosphate mining company Hassine Mining upon his death. Sam is tasked with escorting Zoe on her trip to Morocco, where she is placed under the surveillance of her stepmother Rima (Indira Varma) and bodyguards contracted through Hassine Mining. Once there, she quickly comes under threat of kidnapping. Soon Sam and Zoe are on their own, and must fight for their own survival.

Close is a story of two women who must inspire strength in one another, a largely effective thriller that is, despite its attempts at focusing on interpersonal connections and character development, often frustrating in its lack of depth. Close grows repetitive in its extended action scenes, and the underlying international intrigue is somewhat stale, but the film is bolstered by the relationship between its leads and strong performances by Rapace and Nélisse. The result is an international thriller that, while less than groundbreaking, is entertaining and extremely watchable.

“They want a woman.”

Close is anchored by women who aim to hold onto their lives, their power, their autonomy, and is strongest in its exploration of their interior lives. Sam arrives at the Tanner estate with a scarred face and icy exterior, an emotionally detached bodyguard, skeptical of Zoe and her lifestyle, eager to get the job done and return to her preferred assignments in military and counter-terrorism.

Zoe begins as an archetype as well, a Pomeranian carrying heiress with an affinity for drinking, drugs, and having sex with her previous bodyguards. Rima, Zoe’s stepmother, is desperate to hold onto her status and maintain Hassine Mining, but also mourns her late husband and is eager to defend his legacy – although she plays the somewhat stereotypical role of the evil stepmother, Varma acts the part with sensitivity and emotional honesty, aided by writing that is committed to trying to flesh her out as a person.

Close makes an admirable attempt to subvert the expectations of these women, those held by those around them and by viewers, and clearly values the nuances present in these women’s morality and motivations. Unfortunately, as the film’s plot speeds past them, attempts to humanize the leads are overshadowed by the film’s other interests. Mentions of Sam’s daughter, for example, from whom she is estranged, is a detail that exists to give Sam emotional depth but is barely explored in any meaningful way, and feels like an emotionally manipulative shortcut rather than true storytelling.

The relationship between Sam and Zoe is a saving grace of the film. Sam believes in Zoe’s capability, demands and expects more of her than those around her, and wills her to fight back and take responsibility for her own survival. Zoe is desperate to have an authority figure in her life that shows an ounce of interest in her well-being, and as a result is heartbreakingly eager to take Sam’s orders and form an emotional bond with her.

“From now on, you do as I say, okay?”

The cinematography is overall beautiful and often succeeds in its visual storytelling; beautiful shots of Sam and Zoe placed against vast natural settings of Morocco (the film was shot on-location in Marrakesh and Casablanca) in addition to simply being breathtaking, are effective in highlighting the two women’s isolation. Action and thrills come quickly, and there is a clear interest in the visual element of these action scenes.

Gorgeous, ambitious fight scenes take place underwater, in the dark, through city squares and in hotels, with varied settings and strong fight choreography. Injuries feel real, and the heat and sweat of Morocco can be felt throughout. While these scenes are effective in isolation, they take up a large portion of the trim 90 minute runtime, a disservice to characters whose potential never manifests in anything truly remarkable.

As is the unfortunate case with many action thrillers, the details of Hassine Mining and international intrigue are bland and become somewhat trite as the film progresses; details involving Rima’s land purchase, her competition with a rival company called Sikong, the state of Hassine Mining’s shares, all of this is less interesting than the relationship between Sam and Zoe, and Rima’s emotional state. Details fly by quickly, and as more and more characters and their sinister motives are introduced, the core characters get lost in stale, unsurprising genre conventions and a commitment to quick pacing.

Close: Conclusion

Close is frustratingly shallow, and in its breakneck pace leaves some of its character development in the dust, while trying to wring every bit of emotion out of its quieter moments whenever it can. It is, however, ambitious in its exploration of three women and their emotional state in a genre that generally might not consider them worthy of focus. Close struggles to successfully weave the international intrigue with the core relationship between Sam and Zoe, making the former feel like a distraction to the latter, and often failing to find a successful balance.

A little more screentime may have gone a long way in fleshing out its characters and their motivations, as there is an overwhelming feeling of wasted potential in the film’s interpersonal relationships that, if further explored, could have elevated Close to something that is memorable rather than simply watchable.

What are your thoughts on Close?

Close was released on Netflix in the United States and United Kingdom on January 18, 2019.