L'enfant (The Child)
by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Déborah François, Fabrizio Rongione, Jérémie Renier, Jérémie Segard, Olivier GourmetDirector: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Brand: Sony
Writer: Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Writer: Luc Dardenne
Producer: Alexandre Lippens
Producer: Arlette Zylberberg
Producer: Denis Freyd
Producer: Genevieve Lemal
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.66:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-08-15
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of L'enfant (The Child)
Movie Review: Life lessons...
Summary: 5 Stars
`L'enfant' contains a shocking moment in which new father (and petty thief), Bruno, sells his son Jimmy. He returns to his girlfriend, Sonia, to nonchalantly give her the news and then offers up the money and the words "I thought we'd have another" as a form of comfort for her loss, a loss she had absolutely no say in.
She faints.
The film `L'enfant' is a gritty and disturbing look into the lives of the morally conflicted. We are introduced to the couple shortly after the birth of their son. Sonia is a naïve and slightly immature teenager who completely buys into the inadequacies of her boyfriend Bruno. She, apparently, has enough of a stable mind to hold some sort of a job (we are never informed as to `what' she does) but Bruno refuses to work, resorting to stealing for quick cash, of which is spends impulsively and rather stupidly. The couple is carefree and it shows in the way they react to their current situation. Bruno doesn't visit Sonia in the hospital, and he doesn't even care much for holding his own son. Instead, Bruno looks for ways to make a buck, and if that means selling a child he doesn't want to have to work to support, so be it.
This shocking moment happens about a half-hour into the movie. Sonia, almost immediately, shifts from girl to woman, stirring up her maternal instincts of protection as she expels Bruno from her life.
Bruno spends the rest of the film seeking out his own redemption.
The films second half steps away from the literal `child' and focuses on the figurative `child'; Bruno. We come to know and understand his mindset and his fears as he strives to find himself amidst his own selfish (and instinctual) impulses. This is the story of one man's inability to find solace in his actions, a man in need of a serious readjustment. The final frame, the emotional collapse, leads way to a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this young man has finally got it; but with that `hope' comes the doubt as to whether or not this sudden realization will actually `stick'.
The ambiguities are haunting.
The bare direction is stunning; the gritty and naturally realistic way in which the film is conveyed. The acting is all stellar. Both Jeremie Renier (not to be mistaken for the recently Oscar nominated Jeremy Renner) and Deborah Francois are simply brilliant here. Renier understands the nuances needed to create a relatable and believable `villain'. He is limited by his own selfish instincts, but he is notably trying. There is a softness to him that perfectly underscores the fact that he means well, he just doesn't understand the consequences of his own actions. Francois is marvelous here, especially in the way she handles her characters sudden yet wholly believable tonal shift. Her collapse gave me chills.
`L'enfant' is not an easy film to watch. It is harsh (emotionally) and truly haunting. It touches upon themes that are remarkably poignant and it is a film that feels so raw and real that it will leave you breathless.
Summary of L'enfant (The Child)
L'ENFANT - DVD MovieA disturbing film about a young Belgian couple and their newborn child, L'Enfant tells a heartbreaking tale that is less about love than about the possibility of moral redemption. We quickly learn what kind of people Sonia and Bruno are. Sonia (Deborah Francois) is a sweet teenager who has just given birth to Bruno's (Jeremie Renier) child. Instead of visiting her and seeing their baby in the hospital, Bruno sublets her apartment to "friends" who slam the door in her face when she tries to return home. We do not know what Sonia does for a living, but we know she's diligent enough to maintain a small apartment and keep her pantry stocked with instant soup. Bruno, on the other hand, refuses to take a job. Instead, he leads a gang of thieves who're approximately half his age (and height). Still, Sonia loves him. And Bruno, who may be incapable of love, enjoys the carefree benefits of having a girlfriend who doesn't expect too much. All this changes when Bruno does the unthinkable--he sells their child. He calmly explains to her, "I thought we'd have another." Overnight, Sonia changes from a little girl to a bitter woman who no longer excuses Bruno's behavior. When he returns to her apartment claiming he loves her, she spits back, "You're lying. You can't help it." Not realizing the irony of his own actions, he then begs her for money. Renier and Francois are formidable actors who convey feelings with subtle nuances. Though the film is in French, the viewer never feels lost. The subtitles certainly help, but the actors are so good that their intonations and expressions speak volumes themselves. L'Enfant--a 2005 Cannes winner by filmmaking brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne--is a brutal film to watch not because of any gore or violence, but because of the frailty of the characters and their desperation to survive. In his quest to return the child to Sonia, Bruno attempts to become a better human being. But the viewer is never left with the satisfaction of knowing that he will ever be able to truly redeem himself. --Jae-Ha Kim
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