Deceptively simple, stripped to the bare necessities, it quietly dramatizes the consequences of lying, cheating and stealing in a way that takes your intelligence for granted.
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04/07/06
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L'Enfant (2006)
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Reviews Counted:104
Fresh:89
Rotten:15
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: The Dardennes continue to excel at presenting works of rigorous naturalism, with detached observations of authentic characters that nevertheless resonate with complex moral issues.
Theatrical Release:Mar 24, 2006 Limited
Box Office: $420,558
Synopsis: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne present another uncompromising, emotionally devastating depiction of human struggle with THE CHILD. Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival (their... [More]
Starring: Jérémie Rénier, Deborah Francois, Fabrizio Rongione, Olivier Gourmet
Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
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Reviews for L'Enfant
Top CriticL'Enfant nudges both its protagonist and its audience toward unlikely affection.
04/07/06
L'Enfant is certainly a skillful, engaging movie, but a step backward for this talented team.
04/06/06
The Dardennes' eye for detail and feel for character rhythms give it an authenticity, and their compassion and belief in redemption give us a reason to care.
04/06/06
More likely to elicit shrugs than applause from the audience.
04/01/06
By recording events with such detailed dispassion, the Dardennes avoid undue melodramatics. Consequently, this Palme d’Or-winning confirmation of the world’s cruelty remains unflinchingly powerful.
04/01/06
Preachy, overly symbolic and worst of all, dull.
03/28/06
Top CriticFocuses on an irresponsible couple who nonetheless gain our sympathy.
03/26/06
Throughout this raw, often brilliant drama, the Dardennes refuse to judge these deeply flawed characters.
03/24/06
The Dardennes waste no time involving the audience in the narrative, through both their hand-held, cinema verité style of filming and by having events take place in real time.
03/24/06
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.
03/24/06
Top CriticThe Dardennes' documentary style -- real locations, hand-held camerawork and no music -- help increase not only the realism, but the claustrophobia.
03/24/06
Top CriticIt's expertly directed in a low-key, naturalistic way that brings to mind French auteur Robert Bresson. It's also emotionally forceful and contains heartbreaking performances by Jeremie Renier as Bruno and Déborah François as Sonia.
03/24/06
This is a movie about the kind of everyday miracle we all need to believe can happen -- how the tiniest glimmer of human connection can lead the most miserable specimen out of darkness.
03/24/06
Top CriticFocuses on the here and now, the possibility that all human beings have within them compassion, remorse and the capability to sacrifice their own interests for another.
03/24/06
Renier does more with one expression than most actors do with their whole kit. It's fun, infuriating and uplifting and it's never boring. Great flick.
03/24/06
Plain-good storytelling: rigorous acting, handheld urgency, and editing prowess render the whiff of manipulation moot.
03/24/06
L'Enfant becomes like one of those nightmares where someone does something terrible, then tries to make it right, then gets into a bigger and bigger mess.
03/23/06
The minimalist tone may be an acquired taste -- which might be why [the Dardennes'] films have been overlooked at the Oscars but awarded the Golden Palm twice.
03/23/06
The exceptional thing about L'Enfant is how intensely dramatic the film makes the consequences of Bruno's choice.
03/23/06
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