L’Enfant

L’ENFANT
ARTIFICIAL EYE
RELEASED 10 March 2006
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne present another uncompromising, emotionally devastating depiction of human struggle with ‘L’Enfant’ (The Child). Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, the film opens just as 20-year-old Bruno (Jeremie Renier) and his 18-year-old girlfriend Sonia (Deborah Francois) have welcomed their first child into the world. A small-time crook with no big-time leads, Bruno decides to sneak away with his son, Jimmy, and sell him for a hefty chunk of money. But when he tries to justify his actions to Sonia, assuring her that they’ll have another baby, she collapses in shock. While she recuperates in the hospital, Bruno realizes that he’s made a horrendous mistake, and embarks on an impassioned quest to get his son back and redeem himself to Sonia.
Handheld cinematography, realistic acting, and a music-free soundtrack create a heightened sense of reality. Performances are top-notch.
FOUR OUT OF FIVE