The Child (2005)
"L'enfant" (original title)

Bruno and Sonia, a young couple living off her benefit and the thefts committed by his gang, have a new source of money: their newborn son.

Directors:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Stars:

Jérémie Renier, Déborah François, Jérémie Segard

12 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jérémie Renier	...	Bruno
Déborah François	...	Sonia
Jérémie Segard	...	Steve
Fabrizio Rongione	...	Jeune Bandit
Olivier Gourmet	...	Policier en civil
Anne Gerard	...	Commerçante (as Anne Gérard)
Bernard Marbaix	...	Commerçant
Jean-Claude Boniverd	...	Le Policier en civil
Frédéric Bodson	...	Bandit plus âgé
Marie-Rose Roland	...	Une infirmière
Leon Michaux	...	Policier Commissariat (as Léon Michaux)
Delphine Tomson	...	La fille aux cheveux rouges
Stéphane Marsin	...	Jeune Homme
Samuel De Ryck	...	Thomas
François Olivier	...	Remy

Storyline

Young, unmarried couple Sonia and Bruno have just had a son, who Sonia names Jimmy. Bruno, who did not visit her while she was in the hospital, scoffs at the notion of what he considers traditional employment, instead eking out a living primarily on petty crimes committed with his fourteen year old associate, Steve. He even sublets Sonia's small apartment while she is in the hospital, he sleeping either in the homeless shelter or squatting in what he calls his "shack" down by the river. On the day after Sonia gets out of the hospital, she allows Bruno to take Jimmy for a walk while she stands in line for her benefits. On that walk, Bruno makes the unilateral decision to sell Jimmy to a black market adoption agency. Upon finding out what Bruno has done, Sonia has a breakdown and falls unconscious. Fearing that Sonia will turn him over to the police when she regains consciousness, Bruno tries to get Jimmy back while he leaves Sonia in the hospital in her unconscious state. But Bruno ...

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | baby | money | camera | euro | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [ru] Sony Classics [us]

Country:

Belgium France

Language:

French

Release Date:

14 September 2005 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Barnet

Filming Locations:

Seraing, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$16,245 (Brazil) (26 May 2006)

Gross:

$651,234 (USA) (28 July 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films du Fleuve, Archipel 33, Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jimmy is played by 40 different babies.

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Quotes

Bruno: Only fuckers work.

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Connections

Featured in Smagsdommerne: Episode #3.17 (2006)

User Reviews

Another powerful story of the downtrodden from the Dardennes

The Dardennes, who won their second Palme d"Or at Cannes this year with "L'Enfant" (The Child), describe it as "a love story that is also the story of a father." Twenty-year-old Bruno (Jérémie Renier) is a petty thief and scam artist in Seraing, an east Belgian steel town, who lives off his girlfriend's welfare and impulsively spends whatever he steals. When eighteen-year-old Sonia (Déborah François) returns after the birth of their son Jimmy, Bruno's far worse than merely unready to accept the responsibility of fatherhood. Unbeknownst to Sonia, he decides to sell the baby on the black market. The film is about what happens following this grotesquely ill-advised decision. Who is really the "child" here? Well, clearly the story is about Bruno.

"L'Enfant" is urgent with movement and has little talk. As with the 1996 "La promesse" (The Promise, 1996), where Jérémie Renier debuted, "Rosetta" (1999), and "Le Fils" (The Son, 2003), the action is ceaseless and obsessive and seems almost real-time. But the Dardennes make every minute count. In those rare moments when the hyper-kinetic Bruno is momentarily still and the camera looks into his face, there's a strong sense of the doubt that will lead to his transformation. When Bruno tells Sonia "I'm sorry," or "I need you" and "I love you" the words carry weight because he doesn't normally ever say such things. But Sonia says, "You lie as you breathe." "L'Enfant" is as powerful and accomplished as anything the Dardennes have done, and as thought-provoking.