The Dardennes brothers of Belgium, Jean-Pierre and Luc, have made some of the strongest dramatic films of the last decade. Though they're critically acclaimed in Europe their films have never reached a wide audience in America. This is a shame because the Dardennes make films unlike any others you may have seen. Their newest is The Kid with a Bike.
A Dardennes movie typically features a small cast of characters dealing with a big problem. In essence, they make suspense films. Sometimes the suspense involves crime but the genius of the Dardennes brothers (who always share the directing credit) reveals itself with their skill in fully exploring the moral dimensions of a character's actions. Terrible things are done plainly and quietly, sometimes even off-screen, but the drama can be devastatingly powerful.
The Kid with a Bike was well-received at Cannes last summer (it won the Grand Jury Prize) though there was some grumbling that this was Dardennes-Lite. Maybe, but it still grabs your heart. The story is about a boy who wants to live with his father only his father doesn't want him. A young woman becomes involved with the boy and tries to help him in spite of his troubling behavior. The trailer looks great; all the Dardennes' movies are beautiful visually in the classic French style. The superb cast is headed by Thomas Doret as the Kid with Cecile de France as the woman who befriends him. Jeremie Renier and Olivier Gourmet, who appear regularly in the Dardennes' films, are also present. I can't recommend this film highly enough.
Bob Abernathy
Opens March 16, 2012, Verdict: Must See
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