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The Kid with a Bike

Original title: Le gamin au vélo
  • 20112011
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
27K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Cécile de France and Thomas Doret in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
Abandoned by his father, a young boy is left in a state-run youth farm. In an act of kindness, the town hairdresser agrees to foster him on weekends.
Play trailer2:19
1 Video
55 Photos
  • Drama

Abandoned by his father, a young boy is left in a state-run youth farm. In a random act of kindness, the town hair-dresser agrees to foster him on week-ends.Abandoned by his father, a young boy is left in a state-run youth farm. In a random act of kindness, the town hair-dresser agrees to foster him on week-ends.Abandoned by his father, a young boy is left in a state-run youth farm. In a random act of kindness, the town hair-dresser agrees to foster him on week-ends.

IMDb RATING
7.4/10
27K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
    • Luc Dardenne
  • Writers
    • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
    • Luc Dardenne
  • Stars
    • Thomas Doret
    • Cécile de France
    • Jérémie Renier
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
    • Luc Dardenne
  • Writers
    • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
    • Luc Dardenne
  • Stars
    • Thomas Doret
    • Cécile de France
    • Jérémie Renier
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 76User reviews
    • 281Critic reviews
    • 87Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 9 wins & 31 nominations

    Videos1

    U.S. Version
    Trailer 2:19
    U.S. Version

    Photos55

    Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Thomas Doret in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Cécile de France and Thomas Doret in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Jérémie Renier and Thomas Doret in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Cécile de France and Thomas Doret in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Cécile de France and Thomas Doret in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Thomas Doret in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Thomas Doret and Egon Di Mateo in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Thomas Doret in Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Cécile de France, and Thomas Doret at an event for Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, and Cécile de France at an event for Le gamin au vélo (2011)
    Cécile de France and Thomas Doret at an event for Le gamin au vélo (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Thomas Doret
    Thomas Doret
    • Cyrilas Cyril
    Cécile de France
    Cécile de France
    • Samanthaas Samantha
    Jérémie Renier
    Jérémie Renier
    • Guy Catoulas Guy Catoul
    Fabrizio Rongione
    Fabrizio Rongione
    • Le libraireas Le libraire
    Egon Di Mateo
    • Wesas Wes
    Olivier Gourmet
    Olivier Gourmet
    • Avec la participation deas Avec la participation de
    Baptiste Sornin
    • Éducateur 1as Éducateur 1
    Samuel De Ryck
    • Éducateur 2as Éducateur 2
    • (as Samuel De Rijk)
    Carl Jadot
    • Instituteuras Instituteur
    Claudy Delfosse
    • Homme gare de busas Homme gare de bus
    Jean-Michel Balthazar
    Jean-Michel Balthazar
    • Voisin Val Poletas Voisin Val Polet
    Frédéric Dussenne
    • Conciergeas Concierge
    Myriem Akheddiou
    Myriem Akheddiou
    • L'assistante médicaleas L'assistante médicale
    Sandra Raco
    • Éducatriceas Éducatrice
    Hicham Slaoui
    • Directeuras Directeur
    Romain Clavareau
    • Loganas Logan
    Charles Monnoyer
    • Brianas Brian
    Jasser Jaafari
    • Nabilas Nabil
    • Directors
      • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
      • Luc Dardenne
    • Writers
      • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
      • Luc Dardenne
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    At about 11, the stubborn and impulsive Cyril seems on his way to delinquency: he has no mother, his father wants a new life without him, so he's in a foster institution. He searches for his father, wanting him and his bike. Through the intersession of Samantha, a hairdresser Cyril happens upon, he gets his bike back, and she offers to take him into her home on weekends. He remains aloof from her and gets involved with a young crook. Is Cyril intent on driving Samantha away - and what then? —<jhailey@hotmail.com>
    • chase
    • cafe
    • theft
    • family relationships
    • robbery
    • 112 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, violence, brief language and smoking
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For both the moments where Cyril is running from the police and ends up in the doctor's office and the opening scene when he's using the phone and won't let go, the young actor was just instructed by the directors not to give up what the character was doing under any circumstance.
    • Goofs
      When the hairdresser is leaving the orphanage after she returned Cyrill's bike the car she is driving makes the sound of Diesel engine, but in the next scene with the same car the car sounds like it has a petrol engine.
    • Quotes

      Guy Catoul: It's too much. I can't look after him.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Cannes Film Festival 2011 (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Adagio un poco mosso
      from Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73

      written by Ludwig van Beethoven

      performed by Alfred Brendel and the London Philharmonic Orchestra

      conducted by Bernard Haitink

    User reviews76

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Love & Affection breaking the (bi)cycle of Violence & Despair
    A beautiful film. One that pulls you in by the honest and genuine storytelling told in the Dardenne brothers' trademark naturalistic and guileless tone that is refreshing and sorely missed in today's too often rambunctious style of movies.

    The story is simple and organic, the kid initially breaking out of foster care to find his father, and his bike both of which give him some identity and purpose in the world. He befriends several characters along the way (and in the Dardennes films, the characters are few, but all play vital roles) including the benevolent Samantha (whom I thought was very sweet but perhaps too pretty - and talented - to play a working- class hairdresser). Some characters are good (Samantha), some not so (Wes) and some have their own agendas to make a living.

    In this way, the film is not unlike (and I quote the Dardennes) a fairytale - the boy (hero) on quest in the wide world which various characters and dangers lurking, yet set in this ultra realistic (read social-realist) setting.

    The style of film-making here is pure and simple in that social-realist style, simply presenting characters who live on the fringe of society; who live in poor social economic conditions or don't have the opportunity of good schooling or the genuine love of a mother or father. As a result it is perhaps a little easier to understand why Cyril acts the way he does, rebelling against society, trying to find his place in the world. As you watch perhaps keep in mind what you might do to make ends meet.

    The kid is astounding in a first-time performance, he conveys so much frustration, anger, pathos, regret with just glances and looks, most of the screen time without dialogue. Just watch the sequences when he is cycling on his bike, utterly free, chasing (or escaping) his life as the master of his own destiny.

    This is a very simple & heartfelt tale, it tells the story as it is with no artifice, shot in the gorgeous dappled sunlight of a Belgian summer. It is not as hard-hitting and gritty as other of the Dardennes' films, such as emotional sledgehammers like Rosetta, Le Fils & L'Infant, but, it is still very good.
    helpful•7
    0
    • polar24
    • Mar 31, 2012

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 18, 2011 (Belgium)
    • Countries of origin
      • Belgium
      • France
      • Italy
    • Official sites
      • Diaphana (France)
      • Official site
    • Language
      • French
    • Also known as
      • El niño de la bicicleta
    • Filming locations
      • Oupeye, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium
    • Production companies
      • Les Films du Fleuve
      • Archipel 35
      • Lucky Red
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,470,000
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $45,933
      • Mar 18, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $7,011,798
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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