Review of La Promesse (1996) by Jareth S — 31 Jan 2011

Sobering look at the horrible plight of illegal immigrants (Belgium, 1990s) and the scumbags that exploit them. As in their other films, the Dardennes treat the action in a matter-of-fact way, focusing on the physicality of characters and the things they do with their hands.

Here, a young boy must break with his father to help a woman from Burkina Faso. We experience first-hand the awakening of his moral conscience and the emotionally difficult predicament it places him in.