L'Enfant (2006) Synopsis:
Bruno, twenty. Sonia, eighteen. They live off Sonia's benefit and the thefts committed by Bruno and the kids in his gang. Sonia has just given birth to Jimmy, their child. How can Bruno become a father, being so carefree and living as he does for the present, solely concerned about the money from his deals?
L'Enfant (2006) Movie Review:
The Dardenne brothers are back with a third Cannes-winning feature (see also Rosetta and The Son) that doggedly follows one character through a series of seemingly mundane yet life-changing events. It drags badly in the second half, but it's worth sticking with for the overwhelmingly moving conclusion.
Sonia (Segard) is a young woman who has just had a baby with her immature boyfriend Bruno (Renier). She hopes this'll calm him down and bring out some responsibility, instead of the life of petty crime and unfocussed ambition that characterises their poor community. While the baby does deepen their relationship, it also sparks a reprehensible idea in Bruno's mind, and he makes a terrible, unforgivable decision that could undo this little family forever. How far will he go to redeem himself?
Babies having babies is the theme here--the underclass living off the state in a grim setting where they struggle for every meal. But the Dardennes maintain a firm sense of balance amid their typically meandering style: Sonia and Bruno have a lively, sweet, childishly energetic relationship, and Bruno does have a choice about how he lives. His most telling comment is that that only losers get jobs; he'd prefer to make a living through crime. Of course this is Bruno's tragic flaw, and he's going to pay. And probably take everyone down with him.
Once he digs his hole, it's very difficult to have any sympathy for him. And this is where the film becomes almost unbearable, as we watch him flail around for even a shred of self-respect, dignity or forgiveness. It's extremely well-done, cinematically, in that we really lose all hope for any sort of redemption (as opposed to Hollywood movies in which we know it will all be just fine in the end). The Dardennes and their raw, honest cast really make us believe it! But there's at least a half-hour in which we really don't care what he does, which is a problem. Then something remarkable happens, and the filmmakers draw the story to an astonishing conclusion that really does take our breath away.
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L'Enfant (2006) review written by: Rich Cline
7th October, 2008 
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