Review of The Kid with a Bike (2011) by Roberta J — 07 Sep 2012

Another wonderful drama written and directed by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, who may be the most consistently high-achieving filmmakers of our time! This time it is a story of a 12-year-old boy who turns to a woman for comfort after his father has abandoned him... Starring Cécile de France and Thomas Doret this is one of the film achievements with a soul of its own. Produced through companies in Belgium, France and Italy this outstanding art work still keeps the naturalistic style of the Dardenne brothers' earlier works, but many critics noticed that a brighter aesthetic than usual was used. Another new thing in this movie is that the directors this time are using music. This movie premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and won the festival's Grand Prix.

Luc Dardenne and his brother Jean-Pierre had for a long time had the idea of a film about "a woman who helps a boy emerge from the violence that holds him prisoner." Writing the screenplay took one year including a few breaks.

This is for everyone who prefers heartfelt, boldly direct film, revisiting the film-makers' classic themes of parenthood, trust and love.