Enfant, L' (The Child)

A FILM BY Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Enfant, L' (The Child)

A FILM BY Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Those masters of small scale realism, Belgian brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, have created yet another beautifully acted, exquisitely observed moral tale.
-Scott Foundas, VARIETY
The intimacy the directors achieve with their actors is nothing short of uncanny? Renier and François go about their business with such naturalness and determination, you forget there are performances going on. """"
-Jan Stuart, Newsday
""Every act in the film has a mythic resonance. ""
-David Edelstein, New York Magazine
The Dardennes have a gift of finding a sort of beauty in ugliness.""""
-Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle

Synopsis

Dispossessed twenty-year old Bruno (Jérémie Renier) lives with his eighteen-year-old girlfriend Sonia (Déborah François) in Seraing, an eastern Belgian steel town. They live off Sonia’s unemployment benefits and the panhandling and petty theft committed by Bruno and his gang. Their lives change forever when Sonia gives birth to their child, Jimmy. She returns home after Jimmy’s birth to find that Bruno has sublet their apartment to total strangers. After an initial and promising change of heart about becoming a father and changing his ways, Jimmy becomes little more to Bruno than a new source of wealth. Desperate for money and unable to face his parental responsibilities, Bruno sells Jimmy to a black market connection, who promises to find the child an adoptive home. Realizing the error in his actions Bruno sets out to try and undo his callous deed, leading him to a powerful personal transformation.

Original Languages: French
Genre: Drama, World Cinema
Running Time: 100 min.
Year: 2005

CREDITS

CAST
Déborah François
Jérémie Renier
DIRECTED BY
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

PHOTOS