CLOSE TO LEO concerns family.namely Leo's. At 21, he's the eldest of four. His youngest brother Marcel is just 11. The family loves Leo and accepts his homosexuality, but when they learn of his HIV-positive status, they face a situation that will eventually test all bonds. The family worries that Marcel is too young to deal with this challenging news, so they exclude him from family discussions of Leo's health. Nevertheless one night after dinner Marcel overhears a troubled conversation about his beloved older brother and it terrifies him. Marcel knows something is wrong and wants to hear the truth. Facing the prospects of an arduous medical regimen, Leo takesmatters into his own hands and decides not to take "the cocktail". Now he must explain himself to Marcel and face his own uncertain future.