Close to You review – Elliot Page struggles to bring transgender drama to life

Sam (Elliot Page), a transgender man, returns to visit his family in small-town Ontario after a lengthy, self-imposed exile, in Dominic Savage’s well-intentioned but underpowered drama. Close to You, which feels loosely scripted and repetitive in a way that suggests an excessive dependence on improvisation, explores Sam’s pain as it becomes clear that his family members, despite their best intentions, struggle to understand his transition. And in a laboured subplot, Sam is repeatedly drawn back to connect with his schoolfriend and secret crush Katherine (Hillary Baack), who is now married. It’s clearly a passion project for Page, so why then does his performance feel so lifeless and inert?

• In UK and Irish cinemas