Movie Night: "L'Enfant"

The Dardennes brothers, a Belgian pair of filmmakers, are known for their raw, taught stories of life at the margins of Belgium's bleak, working-class industrial towns. Their latest film, "L'Enfant" ("The Child"), is no exception. The movie is one of the most powerful and compelling films we've seen this year, or for that matter, in the past one. The Dardennes were documentary filmmakers for many years before they set out to make dramatic features. That documentary sensibility has informed the way they frame, direct and record the movements and dialogue of characters in their cinematic fiction. In "L'Enfant" the story centers around a petty thief named Bruno and his girfriend, who has just borne their first child. The couple live a hand-to-mouth existence, stealing and selling to make cash, only to impulsively spend it on small, fleeting and -- given their circumstances -- foolish extravagances. To score a big payday, Bruno suddenly and shockingly decides to sell their newborn child, Jimmy, to an underground baby-adoption ring. He does so without telling his girlfriend. And that's when the real trouble begins.

Air Massive rating: 4 stars out of 5

Posted by Robsam at April 4, 2006 12:17 AM