Review of The Kid with a Bike (2011) by Planet C — 20 Aug 2012

Those familiar with the Dardennes brothers' films should know what to expect but this would make a good introduction to their brand of drama, which combines a naturalistic, though still finely crafted, approach to filming and performance, and subject matter which eschews cheap sentiment yet still manages to be profoundly touching with it's juggling of the light and dark sides to childhood.

Thomas Doret is great as young Cyril, a kid abandoned to foster homes by his dad whilst an unusual, but effective bit of casting has French star Cecile de France as a young woman who takes Cyril for weekends after a chance encounter and the return of the kid's beloved mountain bike.

Although slight of plot, the Dardennes have an incredible talent for making human relationships so engrossing yet without over-dramatizing or resorting to cheap sentiment. Cyril goes through some tough times, as does Samantha, and there's a real danger that he might end up on the wrong path in life.

Yet the Dardennes' belief in the goodness in people always leads to optimistic, life-affirming conclusions however emotionally bumpy the journey.