Tori & Lokita

 

Written and directed by Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, Tori & Lokita is the story of two young African immigrants who arrive in Belgium as they hope to gain residence while pretending to be siblings. The film is a look into the migrant situation in Europe in which two different African immigrants try to survive and hope to find a home in Belgium. Starring Pablo Schills, Mbundu Joely, Alban Ukaj, Tijmen Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadege Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. Tori & Lokita is a riveting and somber film from the Dardenne Brothers.

The film revolves around two young and different African immigrants who live in Belgium as one of them hopes to get immigration papers while they both do all sorts of things including drug deals for a sleazy chef and such. It is a film with a simple premise, yet Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne create a story that does have a political slant as it relates to the plight that migrants deal with as they try to enter a country legally as well as the terrible social conditions, they must endure including the bureaucratic process into getting immigration papers. Yet, at the heart of the story are these titular characters as Tori (Pablo Schills) is a 12-year-old from Benin and Lokita (Mbundu Joely) is a 17-year-old from Cameroon as they pretend to be siblings as they work as couriers for a restaurant owner in Betim (Alban Ukaj) while the latter is forced to do sexual favors for him. Lokita also must deal with the people who brought here as she owes them money while is hoping to get money for her mother back in Cameroon and legal documents that Tori already has. Lokita takes an offer from Betim to make some more money and get legal documents but what she learns is that she must be separated from Tori to work in a remote marijuana farm.

The direction of the Dardenne Brothers is engaging for the sense of urgency that occurs but also in its simplicity. Shot on location in Liege and areas around the city in Belgium, the Dardenne Brothers maintain a sense of intimacy with the close-ups and medium shots with some wide shots in some of the locations including a few scenes in its third act. Still, there is that sense of realism in their direction with some long shots that linger for a few minutes with hand-held cameras as if they are making a documentary film. The direction also displays the sense of location in where the titular characters must go to sell the drugs to Betim’s clients including a club doorman who feels like he is overpaying though Tori, later in its third act, offers to sell him some weed cheap. Though being couriers for Betim has its benefits financially and the food they eat, Lokita unfortunately must do more to get money as she is in a terrifying position due to the money, she owes to a smuggler in Firmin (Marc Zinga).

The direction also plays into this underworld that migrants must take part in as Lokita is sent to a remote farm where she must do a lot of duties in remote isolation as it is hard for her to deal with. Even as she deals with being away from Tori who still goes to school while he is concerned for Lokita knowing she also has health issues. The third act does not just play into Tori’s willingness to help Lokita as well as finding where she is where he discovers this underworld that is terrifying. Still, Tori is someone that has a lot of determination and street smart to get things done yet he also must contend with the dark underworld that he and Lokita are to get the latter her immigration papers. Overall, the Dardenne Brothers craft a gripping yet mesmerizing film about two African migrants struggling to get by and find a home in Belgium.

Cinematographer Benoit Dervaux does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward for much of the film’s daytime scenes with its natural lighting while using some stylish lighting for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Marie-Helene Dozo does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward in its presentation with a few jump cuts for some of the suspenseful moments in the film. Production designer Igor Gabriel, along with art directors Julien Denis and Paul Rouschop, does amazing work with the look of the kitchen where Betim works as well as the room where Lokita lives in the farm.

Costume designer Dorothee Guiraud does nice work with the costumes as it is casual with some coats and colorful clothing. Sound editor Valene Leroy and sound engineer Jean-Pierre Duret do superb work with the sound in how it plays at a certain location through small sparse moments as well as loud moments including scenes where music is played including a few songs that the titular characters sing.

The casting by Kevin Dardenne is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Nadage Ouedraogo as an associate of Firmin, Thomas Doret and Annette Closset as a couple of Lokita’s caseworkers, Emma Cohen-Hadria as Tori’s teacher, Tijem Govaerts as a marijuana farmer who runs everything for Betim while not giving Lokita access to a phone so that no one can find the farm, and Charlotte De Bruyne as a drug farmer in Margot who tries to warn Lokita of what she has to deal with. Marc Zinga is fantastic as the smuggler Firmin as the man that brought Lokita to Belgium as he is also this cruel figure that wants Lokita to pay him the money she owes though he is someone that could not intimidate Tori knowing Tori already has legal papers. Alban Ukaj is excellent as Betim as an Italian restaurant owner who is also a drug dealer that is trying run things despite overcharging for some clients while he also forces Lokita to do sexual favors for him.

Finally, there is the duo Pablo Schills and Mbundu Joely in tremendous leading performances in their respective roles as Tori and Lokita. Schills’ performance is full of energy and street-smart as this 12-year-old kid who always finds a solution while also knows how to deal with clients where he presents himself as a mature kid while also being a kid who does attend school. Joely’s performance as Lokita is more reserved as this 17-year-old young woman who is dealing with a lot on her plate in owing money to her smuggler, doing interviews to get legal documents, and working for Betim whom she must do sexual favors for him. Schills and Joely together bring this sense of camaraderie as well as this sense of urgency into the situations they are in as well as help each other by pretending to be siblings as they are a highlight of the film.

The 2023 Region A Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection as part of the Janus Contemporaries series presents the film in a 1:85:1 aspect ratio with an uncompressed 5.1 Surround Sound in French with English subtitles. The lone special feature in the Blu-Ray is a 24-minute interview with Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne as they talk about the film as well as their own background in documentary that includes footage of the early documentary films they have done since the late 1970s. They also reveal their approach to directing actors and how it had evolved in their career along with mentioning a few key collaborators in sound engineer Jean-Pierre Duret, editor Marie-Helene Dozo, production designer Igor Gabriel, and one of their sons in Kevin who was a prop master and has become their casting director.

The Blu-Ray set also features a booklet that contains an essay by film critic Michael Joshua Rowin entitled Tori and Lokita: No Safe Harbors. The essay discusses the film as well as the subject matter as it relates to the migrant situation that had been occurring since the late 2010s. Even as the essay reveals how the Dardenne Brothers produced the story by talking to educators to young migrant children along with information about their troubled situations as they hoped the film would give voice to these children. Since Schills and Joely are not professional actors and this was the first film for both, the Dardennes revealed how they had to adjust their own filmmaking process to get the two to find what they need for the characters they play as the essay is a fine read.

Tori & Lokita is a tremendous film from the Dardenne Brothers that features great performances from Pablo Schills and Mbundu Joely in their respective titular roles. Along with its ensemble cast, natural visuals, and a gripping story of survival and the plight of young African migrants living in Europe. It is a film that explores the journey of two outsiders living in a foreign world where they try to survive and find a home there while dealing with many obstacles. In the end, Tori & Lokita is a spectacular film from the Dardenne Brothers.

Dardenne Brothers Films: (Falsch) – (I Think of You) – La Promesse - Rosetta - Le Fils - L'Enfant - To Each His Own Cinema-Darkness - Lorna's Silence - The Kid with a Bike - Two Days, One Night - The Unknown Girl - Young Ahmed

© thevoid99 2024

The Unknown Girl

 

Written & directed by Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, La Fille inconnue (The Unknown Girl) is the story of a doctor who is consumed with guilt in turning away a young girl who would later die as the police are unable to identify her body. The film is a study of a woman dealing with a demanding job as well as the guilt in turning away a young African woman. Starring Adele Haenel, Jeremie Renier, and Louka Minnella. La Fille inconnue is a riveting and haunting film from the Dardenne Brothers.

Set in the town of Liege in Belgium, the film revolves around a young doctor who turned away a young girl late one night only to learn that the girl died a day later nearby as she feels responsible for her death. It is a film that explores not just guilt but also a doctor trying to learn who this girl is and why she died as someone was chasing her. The film’s screenplay by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne has a straightforward narrative yet it is the first script where they flirt with a genre in suspense-mystery as it plays into the journey that Dr. Jenny Davin (Adele Haenel) takes where she had been working all day with her intern Julien (Olivier Bonnaud) at a clinic as it was past closing time is when she refused to open the door even though Julien wanted to help this young girl who was being chased. Upon learning about this girl who died as no one had been able to identify her, Dr. Davin becomes obsessed with as she talks with the police, the previous owner of the clinic she runs, and various locals including some patients if they knew this girl. Even as she also works being a doctor who drives from place to place to help them.

The direction of the Dardenne Brothers is entrancing for not just its simplicity but also in how restrained it is in terms of using hand-held cameras where there is not a lot of shakiness in the camera movements. Shot on location in Liege, the Dardenne Brothers’ direction aims for intimacy in the usage of medium shots and close-ups though there are a few wide shots in the film. Yet, they do maintain this style of cinema verite that gives the film a realistic feel as if they are presenting the film as a documentary but with a polished look. It adds to the sense of realism where the Dardenne Brothers use the locations in Liege to highlight a world that Dr. Davin is going into while also tending to other patients outside of her clinic. The Dardenne Brothers display that despite the poor social standing that Dr. Davin’s clients live in, she will go to them to treat them and such while asking if they know the identity of this young girl she turns away.

The element of suspense and mystery do come into play where Dr. Davin asks one of young patients in Bryan (Louka Minnella) if he knew this girl as he said no at first only to later revealed that he did see her with a friend leading to more revelations about some of the seedy things in town. Notably as she gets some information from both Bryan’s father (Jeremie Renier) and a man who runs an illegal garage though she still does not get this girl’s name. It does play into an underworld of sorts that Dr. Davin must confront though she is not only the person filled with guilt over what happened as there are others who did know this girl but were either afraid to reveal her identity or had a hand in her death. Overall, the Dardenne Brothers craft a gripping yet somber film about a young Belgian doctor dealing with her role in a young girl’s death.

Cinematographer Alain Marcoen does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward in its natural lighting for many of the daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as some additional lighting for some exterior scenes at night. Editor Marie-Helene Dozo does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with shots lingering for more than a few minutes with a few jump-cuts to play into the suspense. Production designer Igor Gabriel, along with set decorators Millie Dardenne and Amanda Petrella plus art director Paul Rouschop, does fantastic work with the interiors of the clinic that Dr. Davin runs as well as the small apartment she lives in above the clinic. Costume designer Maira Ramedhan Levi does terrific work with the costumes as it is straightforward with everyone wearing casual clothing including the coats that they wear as it is set in the fall/winter. Sound editor Benoit De Clerck does nice work with the sound as it is straightforward in capturing everything that is on location as well as the way something sounds like from afar or in another room.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Thomas Doret as a cancer patient of Dr. Davin who wrote a song for her, Marc Zinga as a pimp who threatens Dr. Davin, Jean-Michel Balthazar as a diabetic patient who helps Dr. Davin in trying to find the girl’s identity, Ben Hamidou and Laurent Caron as a couple of police inspectors, Yves Larec as Dr. Davin’s previous boss who tried to help her in identifying the girl through his records, Pierre Sumkay as an old patient in Monsieur Lambert who revealed that he did meet the girl and knows who she is, Myriem Akheddiou as an assistant of a boss of Dr. Davin, Nadege Ouedraogo as a cashier at a cybercafe, Christelle Cornil as Bryan’s mother, and Fabrizio Rongione as Dr. Riga as a boss of Dr. Davin who gave her a job that would help her fund her clinic.

Olivier Gourmet is terrific as Monsieur Lambert’s son who runs a garage where the titular girl had done something in his camper van as the man does not want anyone to know. Louka Minella is superb as Bryan as a young kid with indigestion issues who had seen the girl but knows more to protect a friend of his. Jeremie Renier is excellent as Bryan’s father who also knows the girl but is also secretive into what had happened. Olivier Bonnaud is fantastic as Dr. Davin’s intern Julien who had quit the clinic the day after the news of the girl’s death as he reveals what happened on that day all because of a child who had a seizure. Finally, there’s Adele Haenel in a phenomenal performance as Dr. Jenny Davin as a young woman who works and runs a clinic while also going to various homes to treat patients while dealing with the guilt of turning away a young girl being chased that led to her death. It is a somber yet restrained performance from Haenel who captures not just the sense of guilt in her actions but also trying to understand who this girl is and why did she die as it is one of her finest performances.

La Fille inconnue is a tremendous film from Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne that features a great leading performance from Adele Haenel. Along with its ensemble supporting cast, realistic visuals, a simple yet engaging premise, and its unconventional take on suspense and mystery. It is a film that is not just a fascinating study of guilt but also a woman trying to deal with a mistake and rectify it so she can bring peace to herself and those who knew this young girl. In the end, La Fille inconnue is a spectacular film from Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne.

Dardenne Brothers Films: (Falsch) – (I Think of You) – La Promesse - Rosetta - Le Fils - L'Enfant - To Each His Own Cinema-Darkness - Lorna's Silence - The Kid with a Bike - Two Days, One Night - Young Ahmed - Tori & Lokita

© thevoid99 2024

2024 Cannes Marathon: Young Ahmed

 

(Winner of the Best Director Prize to Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival)

Written and directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Le Jeune Ahmed (Young Ahmed) is the story of 13-year-old Muslim student who plots to kill his teacher after embracing a radicalized version of the Quran. The film is an exploration a young Muslim living in Belgian as he feels abandoned where he seeks to kill a schoolteacher in the name of Allah. Starring Idir Ben Addi, Olivier Bonnaud, Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson, and Othmane Moumen. Le Jeune Ahmed is a rich and somber film from the Dardenne Brothers.

The film revolves around a 13-year-old Belgian-Muslim student who has become radicalized by his local imam who convinces him that his schoolteacher is an apostate prompting him to kill her in the name of Allah. It is a film that explores a boy living in small working-class town in Belgium with a mixture of races and religions as he is embracing the radical ideas of his imam through a radicalized version of the Quran. The screenplay by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne is straightforward in its narrative despite not having much plot in favor of studying the film’s titular character (Idir Ben Addi) and his actions where he would be sent to a juvenile detention center as he comes into conflict with the way the center approaches him in a non-confrontational manner. Even as he would collaborate with his caseworker at a farm as he tries to maintain his idealism but becomes troubled by his emotions and the pleas from his mother (Claire Bodson) to change his ways and forget the teachings of his local imam (Othmane Moumen).

The direction of the Dardenne Brothers is entrancing for its simplicity as it is shot on location in Wallonia, Belgium with hand-held cameras. While there are a few wide shots in the film, much of the direction is intimate through the usage of close-ups and medium shots that play into the style that the Dardenne Brothers are known for that is like cinema verité. Even as the Dardenne Brothers play into this world of Islam where Ahmed is devoted to as he is a Muslim, yet he is upset that his schoolteacher Miss Ines (Myriem Akheddiou) who wants to teach basic Arabic to kids in preparation when they grow up and such as well as make it accessible. It is an idea that upsets both Ahmed and his imam as the latter urges him to act although the former mistakes his rhetoric as an act of jihad. The incident would put Ahmed in the detention center as he is given time to pray as he would often carry the Quran in a plastic Ziploc bag whenever he goes somewhere such as a farm.

At the farm, he meets a young girl in Louise (Victoria Bluck) who is interested in him though she confuses Ahmed. Especially as he is someone that is trying to maintain a sense of purity for himself hoping to be embraced by Allah. The Dardenne Brothers go to great lengths as it relates to Ahmed’s confusion where he steals a toothbrush from the farm to create a shiv, but things do not go well despite his claims that he has changed. The direction does showcase a world where Ahmed expects to be abused and such, but it isn’t anything like that as the film’s final moments play into him wanting to prove himself to Allah, but he’s filled with a lot of conflict over what he’s being taught but also what the Quran really teaches. Overall, the Dardenne Brothers craft an evocative and engaging film about a 13-year-old Muslim boy from Belgium trying to kill his schoolteacher to prove himself to Allah.

Cinematographer Benoit Dervoux does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward in its approach to natural lighting in the daytime interior/exterior settings and usage of available light for some of the interior scenes at night. Editors Marie-Helene Dozo and Tristan Meunier do excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play into some of the drama. Production designer Igor Gabriel and art director Paul Rouschop do fantastic work with the look of the classrooms that Ahmed goes to as well as the home he lives with his family and some of the interiors at the farmhouse. Costume designer Maira Ramedhan Levi does nice work with the costumes as it is casual with many of the young kids wearing tracksuits or loose clothing apart from a few scenes at the imam’s church where everyone is wearing a robe.

Visual effects supervisor Guillaume Pondard does terrific work with a few of the film’s visual effects scenes as it is set dressing on a few bits including the film’s climax. The sound work of Julien Sicart and sound editor Valene Leroy is superb for its sound as a lot of it is captured on location to maintain a sense of realism that also includes a scene in a car where the lone music piece played on film is a song by the Intergalactic Lovers while a classical piece by Franz Schubert that is played in the film’s final credits.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Cyra Lassman as Ahmed’s older sister Yasmine, Amine Hamidou as his brother Rachid who is also radicalized, Karim Chihab as a counselor at the detention center, and Olivier Bonnaud as a sympathetic caseworker who tries to help Ahmed while not wanting to stray Ahmed from his faith. Victoria Bluck is fantastic as Louise as a farmer’s daughter who works at the farm as she befriends Ahmed while also trying to understand him through a simple act of affection. Claire Bodson is excellent as Ahmed’s mother who is aghast about his newfound radicalism as she tries to get him to steer back into his innocence, feeling he is becoming a danger to himself and everyone around him.

Othmane Moumen is brilliant as Ahmed’s imam Youssouf who is a radical that believes that Islam is being threatened as is everything Ahmed is trying to maintain in his faith where he would suggest going into extremism as he is really an evil figure distorting the ideas of Islam. Myriem Akheddiou is amazing as Miss Ines as Ahmed’s schoolteacher who is troubled by Ahmed’s radicalism as she is also a Muslim but is hoping to make it more accessible for everyone including children so they can maintain their identity. Finally, there’s Idir Ben Addi in a phenomenal performance as Ahmed as this 13-year-old Belgian-Muslim kid who becomes radicalized as he is eager to prove himself to his imam and Allah by killing his teacher only to be sent to a detention center. It is a subdued performance from the young actor who expresses someone that is determined to complete his task but is also filled with confusion and anguish over the ways of the world.

Le Jeune Ahmed is a sensational film from the Dardenne Brothers. Featuring a great ensemble cast, naturalistic visuals, and a riveting character study of a young boy being radicalized into killing his teacher. It is a film that explores a youth being lost and pulled in many directions while he is intent on completing a task in the name of religion only to realize that the world is far more complicated with hate being the catalyst for this complication. In the end, Le Jeune Ahmed is a phenomenal film from the Dardenne Brothers.

Dardenne Brothers Films: (Falsch) – (I Think of You) – La Promesse - Rosetta - Le Fils - L'Enfant - To Each His Own Cinema-Darkness - Lorna's Silence - The Kid with a Bike - Two Days, One Night - The Unknown Girl - Tori & Lokita

© thevoid99 2024

Two Days, One Night

Written and directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Deux jours, une nuit (Two Days, One Night) is the story of a woman who is trying to keep her job as she spends the weekend trying to convince various co-workers to forgo their bonuses so she can keep her job following a period of absence due to depression. The film is another tale of the Dardenne Brothers and their outlook into the world of the working class as a woman is trying to get back to work as she learns she could be out of the job because of her absence. Starring Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, and Olivier Gourmet. Deux jours, une nuit is a mesmerizing yet powerful film from the Dardenne Brothers.

After being absent from her work due to depression, a woman learns she has to convince 16 of her co-workers at a factory to forgo their bonuses so she can keep her job. Yet, she faces an uphill battle as she is aware that not everyone can give up their bonuses as she struggles with the idea of losing her job that she needs to support her family. It’s a film that plays into a sense of struggle where this woman, who is a mother of two and a husband who is already working, as she wants to get back to work. For Sandra (Marion Cotillard), she is already teetering on the edge as she is constantly crying as she’s trying not to gain pity for what has happened to her as she meets with her co-workers in convincing them to forgo their bonuses.

While many are sympathetic, some aren’t able to let go of the bonuses as they needed it. The film’s screenplay is aware of the sense of conflict that looms in Sandra as she doesn’t want to gain the ire of her co-workers. Plus, she would question into whether she’s well enough to work due to her struggle with depression. Though she has the full support of her husband Manu (Fabrizio Rongione) who would drive her to the houses during the weekend when he’s not working. She would raise question about their marriage as she starts to unravel as the story progresses yet for those who say yes to her do give her a bit of hope but others are reluctant which she does understand as she admits to doing the same if she was in their shoes.

The direction of the Dardenne Brothers does have an air of simplicity, which is typical of their work, yet is very vibrant in the way it plays into the struggles of a woman during a weekend. Notably as it’s shot entirely on location in the industrial section of Seraing in Liege in Belgium where it is a character in the film. While much of the film is shot with hand-held cameras, there is a smoothness to the way the camera moves in scenes set inside a car as well as in the way the camera moves around in locations in the streets. Even as it is constantly following Sandra as she is trekking from one home to another to talk to co-workers in convincing them to let her keep her job. The sense of intimacy in the Dardenne Brothers’ approach to close-ups and medium shots play into Sandra’s struggle as there’s scenes of her crying as they often keep the camera afar to not get too close.

The direction also plays into how restrained the drama is as there’s very little moments of outbursts and intensity as those moments add to the weight of guilt that looms into Sandra’s already troubled state of mind. Even as she faces rejection where the Dardennes aren’t interested in creating people who are heroes and villains but just people who mean well but have needs. Time also plays an impact to the story as much it is set on two days and one night before the weekend ends where all of Sandra’s co-workers have to vote about keeping their bonuses or have Sandra keep their job as that Monday is the film’s climax. Yet, it’s aftermath is more about what will happen to Sandra and what will happen to her on the next day as it is clear that that the outcome of the vote wouldn’t make anything easier nor happier but it does indicate that Sandra at least did put up a fight to save her livelihood. Overall, the Dardenne Brothers create a rapturous film about a woman struggling to regain her job in the course of a weekend.

Cinematographer Alain Marcoen does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as he maintains a very sunny and colorful look of the locations while keeping things low-key in some of the interiors in Sandra’s home with its natural lighting. Editor Marie-Helene Dozo does brilliant work with the editing as it‘s straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play into the intensity of Sandra‘s struggle. Production designer Igor Gabriel does fantastic work with a few of the set pieces such as the home that Sandra, Manu, and their children live in as it is a very simple home. Costume designer Maira Ramedhan Levi does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual while the pink shirt that Sandra wears is a standout as it plays to its look. Sound editor Benoit De Clerck does terrific work with the sound as it’s very low-key but also very natural for the way things sound on location including the music that is played on the car radio such as Petula Clark and Them.

The film’s incredible cast include some notable small roles from Batiste Sornin as Sandra’s boss, Simon Caudry and Pili Groyne as Sandra and Manu’s children, Catherine Salee as Sandra’s co-worker and friend Juliette, Christelle Cornill as another co-worker of Sandra in Anne who helps her in the film’s third act, Serge Koto as an immigrant co-worker who is worried about the impact of the vote, and Olivier Gourmet as the factory foreman who is the one that created the decision into whether giving Sandra her job back. Fabrizio Rongione is amazing as Sandra’s husband Manu who tries to help her every way he can as he is aware of her very depressed state and knows that his job isn’t enough to help them financially.

Finally, there’s Marion Cotillard in an absolutely phenomenal performance as Sandra as it’s Cotillard at her most raw where she isn’t being glamorous. Instead, she brings that sense of realism of a woman struggling to keep her job and her sanity as she is also dealing with depression as it’s just mesmerizing to watch as Cotillard brings that weight of despair into one her best performance so far.

Deux jours, une nuit is a tremendously rich and captivating film from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne that features a radiantly powerful performance from Marion Cotillard. Not only is the film one of their most accessible but also a very universal film that plays into a woman’s struggle to get her job back. Even as she is coping with her own depression as she knows that not everyone is on board to give her job back with very understandable reasons. In the end, Deux jours, une nuit is a truly outstanding film from the Dardenne Brothers.

Dardenne Brothers Films: (Falsch) - (I Think of You) - La Promesse - Rosetta - Le Fils - L'Enfant - Lorna's Silence - The Kid with a Bike - The Unknown Girl - Young Ahmed - Tori & Lokita

© thevoid99 2014

2013 Cannes Marathon: Le Fils

(Winner of the Best Actor Prize to Olivier Gourmet at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival)

Written and directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Le Fils (The Son) is the story about a carpenter who hires a 16-year old as his apprentice knowing that the boy killed his son many years ago. The film is an exploration into the world of grief and forgiveness as a man tries to come to terms with his loss while getting to know the young man who ruined his life. Starring Olivier Gourmet, Morgan Marinne, and Isabella Soupart. Le Fils is a remarkable film from the Dardenne Brothers.

The film is a simple story about a man dealing with the loss of his son five years ago as he is a carpenter who teaches young teens at a training center where one of his new students is the boy who killed his son some years ago. What happens for the man named Olivier (Olivier Gourmet) is that he becomes troubled and conflicted about whether to get revenge for what happened or to understand what happened on that day his life changed. During the course of the film, Olivier observes the young boy named Francis (Morgan Marinne) where he learns more about him and his home life as Olivier is later confronted by his ex-wife Magali (Isabella Soupart) about why he put the boy in his class. For Olivier, he is wondering why is he interested in this boy that ruined his life?

The screenplay by the Dardenne Brothers doesn’t have much of a plot nor does it need one where it is more concerned with the conflict that Olivier is facing internally. He is already filled with loss as he just fills his time helping young boys how to become carpenters while he rarely meets his ex-wife whose life is about to change where it’s clear she’s set to move on. When Francis comes into the picture, he is unsure about what to do as he observes the boy who is revealed to be this quiet kid who is just trying to start a new life as he has no idea who Olivier is. Once the story progresses where Olivier becomes a father figure of sorts for Francis, there is still that conflict over the fact that he’s helping the boy who killed his son where there are no explanations into these actions.

The direction of the Dardenne Brothers is typical of their style that harkens to concept of cinema verite where it’s shot in a documentary hand-held style to capture whatever action and drama that is happening. It’s a visual style that often works in order to capture a sense of realism but what makes this film standout is the fact that there’s a bit of suspense that is told in an unconventional manner. There are also moments where the directing style can be very entrancing as the Dardennes often shoot scenes in long takes including a scene in the car where the camera moves inside where Francis goes to the back while the camera goes in the front in one entire take. It’s a moment in the third act that includes the eventual dramatic confrontation over what Francis did but it is told in that realistic manner that plays into that theme of grief. Overall, the Dardenne Brothers create a very riveting yet haunting film about loss and conflict.

Cinematographer Alain Marceon does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful yet low-key cinematography to capture some of the exterior locations of Belgium including some use of available light in the nighttime scenes. Editor Marie-Helene Dozo does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly low-key with its straightforward cutting style where there aren‘t a lot of cuts except in a few suspenseful moments. Production designer Igor Gabriel does terrific work with some of the minimal set pieces from the trade school to the lumber yard owned by Olivier‘s brother.. Costume designer Monic Parelle does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual. Sound editor Benoit De Clerck does superb work with the sound to capture everything on location that helps with the film’s drama and suspense.

The film’s cast is great as it mostly features non-actors in small roles while Isabella Soupart is wonderful as Olivier’s ex-wife Magali who is about to start a new life until she hears about Francis being released and is at Olivier’s school. Morgan Marinne is brilliant as the boy Francis who is very quiet until he finds a father-figure in Olivier as he sees the man as a beacon of hope and redemption for his past actions. Finally, there’s Olivier Gourmet in a marvelous performance as the carpenter Olivier as a man trying to move on until Francis comes into his life as he deals with his grief but also the conflict about the boy who killed his son some years ago on whether to help him or destroy him.

Le Fils is a phenomenal film from the Dardenne Brothers that features a mesmerizing performance from Olivier Gourmet. The film is definitely one of the Dardenne Brothers’ finest films as well as a compelling piece on the idea of vengeance, grief, and conflict. It’s also a film that doesn’t play by any rules while allowing the audience to understand a father trying to comprehend his loss. In the end, Le Fils is a fantastic film from the Dardenne Brothers.

Dardenne Brothers Films: (Falsch) - (I Think of You) - La Promesse - Rosetta - L'Enfant - Lorna's Silence - The Kid with a Bike - Two Days, One Night - The Unknown Girl - Young Ahmed - Tori & Lokita

© thevoid99 2013

The Kid with a Bike

Written and directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Le gamin au velo (The Kid with a Bike) is the story about a 12-year old boy who deals with his father’s abandonment as he turns to a young woman for comfort as well as riding his bicycle around Seraing, Belgium. The film marks a departure of sorts from the Dardenne brothers as it strays from some of their social-driven films for something more humanistic and intimate. Starring Thomas Doret, Cecile de France, Jeremie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, and Olivier Gourmet. Le gamin au velo is an extraordinary film from the Dardenne brothers.

When a 12-year old boy deals with his father’s abandonment as he feels like there’s no one really there to care for him. Why does he find himself in the care and comfort of a hairdresser? Well, there aren’t many explanations into why this woman is willing to help this troubled and angry young boy yet she knows that he is someone in need of help. Particularly as he has been put in foster care while is trying to search for his father in the hopes they can get back together. Instead, things get complicated as this boy later finds himself drawn to the exploits of a young gang leader where it leads to all sorts of trouble forcing this boy to face his actions as well as the fact that there is someone that will be there for him.

The Dardenne brothers’ screenplay is quite different from their previous works though there are still a bit of social themes in the film as it concerns the father Guy (Jeremie Renier) who sold his car and his son’s bike for money as he is also someone who is unable to play the father. For Guy’s son Cyril (Thomas Doret), it’s a reality he has trouble trying to comprehend as he just wants to be with his dad but doesn’t understand that his father isn’t much of an adult figure. That’s why there’s Samantha (Cecile de France) who sees this boy feeling lost as she was able to get his bike back. Through this act of generosity, Cyril feels like he owes Samantha as he helps her a bit at the hair salon and stay with her in weekends. Yet, Samantha does have trouble keeping up with Cyril’s moody behavior while having to see what kind of man his father is.

Adding to this complication is a young gang leader known as the Dealer (Egon Di Mateo) who is amazed by Cyril’s toughness after one of his boys try to steal Cyril’s bike only to be beaten up. In the Dealer, Cyril finds a new father figure but Samantha knows it will lead to trouble as she tries whatever it takes to not have him be a part of the Dealer’s schemes. For Cyril, it’s all about trying to get money so he can get back with his father but it does lead to trouble. For Cyril, it’s a moment where he realizes what kind of world he needs in and why he needs someone like Samantha around to be there for him.

The direction of the Dardenne Brothers doesn’t really bring anything new they had done in their previous films. What is new however is the setting where instead of shooting the film on very bleak locations. They go for something much sunnier in the locations while still maintaining that air of realism that they’re known for. The usage of hand-held cameras are very prevalent in the film though it’s less obtrusive as it still engages into what happens while there’s a lot of tracking shots that are used in the film to capture the sense of movement for the scenes of Cyril riding his bike. The bike is a character in the film to establish the youthfulness of Cyril as well as his desire to find his father. There are also some very key moments in the framing where it establishes this relationship between Cyril and Samantha as they’re presented in either medium or wide shots.

While it is a film about a boy dealing with abandonment, there are elements of the film that are very emotional though the Dardenne brothers know when not to be overly sentimental. Even as the film features a music score in Beethoven’s Adagio un poco mosso from Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 which is a first for the Dardenne brothers in order to capture Cyril’s moods and the loss he’s facing. While there is a sense of hope that is present in the film’s ending, it’s done in an unconventional matter in order to reveal the growth that Cyril has been through in his life. Overall, the Dardenne brothers create a very exhilarating yet captivating film about a boy finding comfort in a kind hairdresser.

Cinematographer Alain Marcoen does great work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography to establish a much brighter look, as opposed to the more bleaker look of the previous films, in order to show a more hopeful world despite the harsh realities that Cyril encounters. Editor Marie-Helene Dozo does wonderful work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward while using a few jump-cuts to play up to the scenes of Cyril riding his bike. Production designer Igor Gabriel does terrific work with look of Samantha’s hair salon as well as a few minor set pieces including the Dealer’s room.

Costume designer Maira Ramedhan-Levi does fantastic work with the costumes to maintain the film‘s very colorful look including the red coat and shirt that Cyril wears. Sound mixer Thomas Gauder does amazing work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the locations including some of the intimate moments that occur in some of the film’s interior settings.

The film’s cast is brilliant as it features appearances from Dardenne brothers regulars like Olivier Gourmet as a café owner and Fabrizio Rongione as a bookseller. Egon Di Mateo is excellent as the young gang leader the Dealer while Jeremie Renier is terrific as Cyril’s father Guy who admits to being a very poor father and can’t take care of his son. Cecile de France is just flat-out amazing as the very motherly Samantha as she is a woman who is concerned about Cyril as she just wants to help him as she becomes the one person who will be there for him. Finally, there’s Thomas Doret in a remarkable performance as the troubled and angry Cyril as this boy who is eager to be with his father only to deal with new realities of being abandoned while realizing there is hope in a woman like Samantha. Doret’s scene with de France are just incredible to watch to reveal the kind of chemistry the two have as they are the heart and soul of the film.

Le gamin au velo is an outstanding film from the Dardenne brothers that features exemplary performances from Thomas Doret and Cecile de France. While it is a very different film of sorts from the Dardenne brothers, it still has that sense of engaging realism that they’re known for while bringing something that is a bit more hopeful. Notably as it reveals a very touching story about a boy and a gracious woman who is willing to help him. In the end, Le gamin au velo is a heartfelt and radiant film from the Dardenne brothers.

Dardenne Brother Films: (Falsch) - (I Think of You) - La promesse - Rosetta - Le Fils - L'Enfant - To Each His Own Cinema-Darkness - Lorna's Silence - Two Days, One Night - The Unknown Girl - Young Ahmed - Tori & Lokita

© thevoid99 2013

La Promesse

Directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and written by the Dardenne brothers with Leon Michaux and Alphonse Badolo, La promesse (The Promise) is the story about a teenage boy who encounters tragedy as he makes a promise to take care of a man’s family while dealing with what his father really does for a living. The film is a coming-of-age story that revolves around a young boy becoming a man in the wake of his surroundings. Starring Jeremie Renier, Olivier Gourmet, Assita Ouedraogo, and Rasmane Ouedraogo. La promesse is a captivating yet harrowing film from the Dardenne brothers.

The film is the story of this teenage boy living in Antwerp, Belgium where his father has bought a building that he hopes will become their dream home. Yet, he hires illegal immigrants to work and live in the building as they pay him rent and such. When one of the workers has just brought his wife and their baby to the place, things get complicated when something happens to the man forcing the boy to make a promise to take care of his wife and child. Things get more complicated when his father decides to ship the woman and child to Germany where this young boy takes action in order to get them to safety as an act to keep his word. Yet, this boy would also face a conflict into his own as it comes to his own relationship with his father and the promise he has to make for this woman. Notably as it is a story where a boy becomes a man in the wake of what he has been through.

The film’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot though it does explore a lot of themes into the world of exploiting immigrants and the hardships they face in a new country. Though the character of Roger (Olivier Gourmet) isn’t a totally bad man as he’s just trying to create a better life for himself and his son Igor (Jeremie Renier). The fact he’s making money out of the labors of these immigrants he hires to fix this house and do it illegally does raise a lot of moral questions for Igor. Igor is just this teenage boy who works as a mechanic’s apprentice that wants to work on a go-kart with his friends. When he encounters this incident that would change everything around him, he finds himself making a promise to take care of this man’s wife and child. He also discovers the true nature of what his father was willing to do to this woman where he would do things that would eventually cause a rupture between himself and his father.

The direction of the Dardenne brothers is very engaging in the way they present the film in a cinema verite style that shoots everything on location and doesn’t go for any real set pieces. In going for this minimalist yet realistic approach with handheld cameras, they present things just as it is where it’s a world that is on the fringes of society and things aren’t equal. The places where the Dardenne brothers shoot at show a world that is grim where it’s filled with all sorts of people that came to this country illegally. Throughout the course of the film, there’s this weight of guilt that Igor is carrying as he wonders does he have to say something or let this woman find out. There is this dramatic suspense that does occur but it’s done in a very low-key manner where it will play to a climax. Yet, the climax that is eventually presented is more rooted in realism rather than what is expected in dramatic schematics. Overall, the Dardenne brothers create a fascinating yet gripping drama that explores a boy’s conflict over the tragedy he encounters.

Cinematographer Alain Marcoen does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography that is colorful yet realistic as it‘s not overly-lit nor goes for any kind of stylistic flairs in favor of something simple and straightforward. Editor Marie-Helene Dozo does excellent work with the editing to play out some of the dramatic suspense that occurs with rhythmic cuts as well as maintaining a leisured pace through its editing. Production designer Igor Gabriel and set decorator Francoise Joset do wonderful work with the look of the tenement building that Roger is trying to build with the immigrants to display the harshness of the world the immigrants are living in.

The wardrobe by Monic Parelle is terrific as it plays to that world of poor and working class environment these characters are in. The sound mixing of Thomas Gauder and Philippe Baudhin is superb to capture the locations these characters are living where it‘s chaotic at times but also serene. The film’s music by Jean-Marie Billy and Denis M’Punga is mostly pre-recorded music that is played in stereos such as African music that some of the characters listen to.

The film’s cast features a small but incredible ensemble that includes Frederique Bodson as Igor’s garage boss and Rasmane Ouedraogo as the man that Igor has to make a promise to. Assita Ouedaogo is wonderful as the man’s wife as she is concerned about his sudden disappearance as she is trying to find somewhere safe away from the clutches of Roger. Olivier Gourmet is brilliant as Roger as a man who is keen on wanting a better life for himself and Igor only to do things that are immoral as he is also a man who can be very cruel to his own son. Finally, there’s Jeremie Renier in a remarkable performance as Igor where he displays this very quiet sensitivity to someone who encounters tragedy while facing hard choices that puts him into conflict as it concerns his relationship with his father.

La promesse is a phenomenal film from the Dardenne brothers that features superb performances from Jeremie Renier and Olivier Gourmet. The film is definitely a grim yet exhilarating portrait of a teenage boy coming of age in a harsh world where he sees the horrors of what immigrants go through to make a living. Notably as it would be a film that would explore many themes of social hardships that the Dardenne brothers would delve into with their subsequent films. In the end, La promesse is a marvelous film from the Dardenne brothers.

Dardenne Brother Films: (Falsch) - (I Think of You) - Rosetta - Le Fils - L'Enfant - To Each His Own Cinema-Darkness - Lorna's Silence - The Kid with a Bike - Two Days, One Night - The Unknown Girl - Young Ahmed - Tori & Lokita

© thevoid99 2013

To Each His Own Cinema

Note: The Version of the Film I Saw Does Not Feature the Coen Brothers’ World Cinema short starring Josh Brolin and Grant Heslov that Can be Seen Here.

Chacun son Cinema (To Each His Own Cinema) is a 2007 anthology film project produced by Cannes Film Festival organizer Gilles Jacob to celebrate the festival’s 60th anniversary. Inviting many filmmakers from five different continents and twenty-five countries, each filmmaker has to create a three-minute short to exemplify their love for cinema. Among the filmmakers contributing to this project are the Coen Brothers, Gus Van Sant, Ken Loach, Lars von Trier, David Cronenberg, Wong Kar-Wai, Roman Polanski, David Lynch, Michael Cimino, Walter Salles, Atom Egoyan, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the Dardenne Brothers, and many more.  The result is one of the most fascinating collection of shorts from some of the world's revered filmmakers.

Cinema d’ete (Open-Air Cinema) (Raymond Depardon) is about a gathering of young Islamic people going up the roof of a building to see a Bollywood movie as they enjoy themselves. One Fine Day (Takeshi Kitano) has a laborer (Takeshi Kitano) going to a small theater in the middle of Japan to watch Kitano’s Kids Return by himself only for things to go wrong during the screening. In Trois minutes (Three Minutes) (Theo Angelopoulos), a woman (Jeanne Moreau) enters an empty theater where she talks to the ghost of Marcello Mastroianni. Dans le noir (In the Dark) (Andrei Konchalovski) has a woman (Yola Sanko) watching Fellini’s 8 ½ while hearing a young couple having sex in her theater. In Diaro di uno spettatore (Diary of a Moviegoer) (Nanni Moretti), Nanni Moretti reflects his own experiences watching films in a cinema along with the places he watches those movies.

The Electric Princess Picture House (Hou Hsiao-hsien) is about Hsiao-hsien’s reflection of an old theater where he has a family in the 1960s going to this beloved theater to watch Robert Bresson’s Mouchette. Dans l’obscurite (Darkness) (Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne) is about a young thief (Jeremie Segard) trying to steal the purse of a woman (Emilie Dequenne) as she is crying during a screening of Bresson’s Au Hasard Balthazar. In Absurda (David Lynch) has a group of teens watching a movie where a man on the film presents them horrifying images that scares them. Anna (Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu) has a blind woman (Luisa Williams) watching Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt with her friend (Shaun Madden) as she is moved by what she’s hearing. En regardant le film (Movie Night) (Zhang Yimou) is about a little boy along with a group of children and adults in a small Chinese village waiting to see a movie as they wait for nightfall to see a movie.

In Le Dibbouk de Haifa (The Dybbuk of Haifa) (Amos Gitai), two different groups of people in 1936 Warsaw and in 2006 Haifa are watching the same film just before things would change around them. The Lady Bug (Jane Campion) is the story of a cleaning man (Clayton Jacobson) trying to kill a dancing bug (Erica Englert) as audio from a film is being played. Artaud Double Bill (Atom Egoyan) is about a woman watching Godard’s Vivre sa vie as she texts her boyfriend who is at another theater watching Egoyan’s The Adjuster. La Fonderie (The Foundry) (Aki Kaurismaki) is about a group of factory workers finishing up their job so they can see a film by the Lumiere brothers inside their factory. Recrudescence (Upsurge) (Olivier Assayas) has a couple (Deniz Gazme Erguven & Lionel Dray) go to a movie while a man (George Babluani) eyes the woman for some strange reason.

47 ans aspres (47 Years Later) (Youssef Chahine) is about Chahine’s experience back at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival where his second film was receiving bad reviews as he looks back 47 years later where he receives a lifetime achievement award at the same festival. It’s a Dream (Tsai Ming-liang) has a man recalling his days when his grandmother took him to the cinema as she eats a certain specialty as he watches a movie with his mother, son, and a picture of his grandmother. Occupations (Lars von Trier) has von Trier at a premiere for his own film Manderlay where he’s being pestered by a rude man (Jacques Frantz) as von Trier deals with him in his way. Le Don (The Gift) (Raoul Ruiz) has a blind film buff (Michael Lonsdale) talking to his anthropologist niece (Miriam Heard) about his own experiences while they watch a film in a theater.

Cinema de boulevard (The Cinema Around the Corner) (Claude Lelouch) is about Lelouch recalling the moment his parents met at a theater and how his life was transformed by the films that would impact his life. In First Kiss (Gus Van Sant), a young projectionist (Paul Parson) puts on a movie as a woman (Viva Las Vegas) appears on screen as he‘s transfixed by her. Cinema Erotique (Erotic Cinema) (Roman Polanski) has an old couple watching Emmanuelle where they’re bothered by a man supposedly masturbating to the movie. No Translation Needed (Michael Cimino) has a budding filmmaker (Yves Courbet) wanting to make a movie about a Cuban band with a diva-esque singer (Juliana Munoz) by asking them to perform in a theater. At the Suicide of the Last Jew in the Last Cinema of the World (David Cronenberg) has Cronenberg set to kill himself at the last cinema in the world as it’s being reported by two reporters commenting on the situation.

I Travelled 9000 km to Give It to You (Wong Kar-Wai) is about a man (Fan Chih Wei) and a woman (Farini Chang Yui Ling) falling for each other during a screening of Godard’s Alphaville. Where is My Romeo? (Abbas Kiarostami) has a group of Muslim women watching Romeo & Juliet in a theater to a strong reaction. In The Last Dating Show (Bille August), a Danish man and an Islamic woman go on a blind date to see a movie as a group of men are bothered by the man translating the wrong things to the woman. Itrebak (Awkward) (Elia Suleiman) has Suleiman attend a screening of a film where things don’t work out while he later does a Q&A where everything feels awkward. Rencontre unique (Sole Meeting) (Manoel de Oliveira) has people watching a silent film about a meeting between Nikita Khrushchev (Michel Piccoli) and Pope Jean XXIII (Duarte D’Almeida).

A 8 944 km de Cannes (5,557 Miles From Cannes) (Walter Salles) is about two men having a musical interlude about one’s trip to Cannes as they’re about to go into a theater to watch The 400 Blows. War in Peace (Wim Wenders) is about a group of people in Kabalo watching Black Hawk Down on a television inside a small building. Zhanxiou Village (Chen Kaige) is about a man reflecting the time he watched a Charles Chaplin film as a child as his friends try to find a way to play the film. In Happy Ending (Ken Loach), a father and son (Bradley Walsh & Joe Siffleet) try to figure out what movie to see at a multiplex. World Cinema (Joel & Ethan Coen) is about a cowboy (Josh Brolin) who walks into an art house theater asking an usher (Grant Heslov) about the event as he watches Climates by Nuri Bilge Ceylan to a surprising reaction.

The concept is simple, a collection of short stories by some of the world’s greatest filmmakers expressing their love for cinema. Whether it’s personal, humorous, or serious, it’s all about going to the movies and what does it mean. With many filmmakers choosing to use clips of other movies to express their love of cinema, they also allow to create some kind of statement about what cinema means to them or to express something about what cinema does to them.

The film opens and ends with two different shorts about going to the movies as Raymond Depardon and Ken Loach each create two amazing shorts about going to the movies. In Depardon, he creates the joy of going to a cinema on a building rooftop in an Islamic country just for a bit of freedom. In Loach’s short, it’s all about a father and son trying to figure out what to see amidst a group of annoyed people waiting in line. These two shorts each exemplify the importance of cinema as they each set an example of what these shorts should tell.

Loach and Depardon are among two of the best shorts in the anthology films as many other filmmakers create some amazing gems for varying different reasons. In the humorous department, the shorts by Roman Polanski, Nanni Moretti, Takeshi Kitano, Elia Suleiman, and Lars von Trier provide different arrays of humor. With Moretti, he adds a personal element about his love of going to the movies where he sings the theme to Rocky while Suleiman reveals the awkwardness of attending a movie. The von Trier segment is easily the most gruesome because it’s all about what not to do when watching a movie with Lars von Trier.

Other great shorts involve personal stories such as the shorts by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Claude Lelouch, Chen Kaige, Tsai Ming-liang, and Yousseff Chahine where they each give their own personal stories. For the dramatic moments, Zhang Yimou, Abbas Kiarostami, Andrei Konchalovski, Aki Kaurismaki, Theo Angelopoulos, and Alejandro Gonzalez Innarritu each provide some narratives to their shorts to exemplify the power of cinema. Directors that are known for their style such as the Dardenne Brothers, Walter Salles, the Coen Brothers, Wong Kar-Wai, and David Lynch use the shorts to display part of their own ideas to the anthology. Yet, it’s David Cronenberg’s short that is the major highlight because it has Cronenberg literally shooting himself as he’s about to kill himself over the state of cinema.

With a lot of shorts in this film, there are a slew of great ones but also some good ones that don’t really stand out. The shorts by Gus Van Sant, Bille August, Olivier Assayas, Raoul Ruiz, and Manoel de Oliveira don’t stand out as much but do provide some insight into the power of film. The two shorts by Wim Wenders and Amos Gitai each have political elements though Wenders chooses to downplay at the end of his short while Gitai’s exploration of Hebrews watching a film in two different eras in times of war comes off as pretentious and overbearing. Jane Campion’s short doesn’t really show a film but rather a performance that doesn’t fit in with the entire concept of the film. Yet, her short isn’t the worst as it belongs to Michael Cimino that ends up being extremely ridiculous and very self-indulgent as Cimino tries to make fun of himself for being an egomaniacal filmmaker.

Chacun son Cinema is an extraordinary collection of short films that truly exemplify the brilliance that is cinema. With some amazing shorts from Lars von Trier, David Lynch, David Cronenberg, the Coen Brothers, the Dardenne Brothers, Ken Loach, and several more. There is a great collection that allows fans of these filmmakers to check out while for those who had never heard some of the filmmakers who contribute to this anthology film will get a chance to discover them. In the end, Chacun son Cinema is an anthology film that film buffs must see for these gems from some of the world’s best filmmakers.

© thevoid99 2011

2011 Cannes Marathon: Lorna's Silence

(Winner of the Best Screenplay Prize at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival)

Since their emergence to the international film scene, the Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne had made a series of acclaimed films that helped raise the profile for European cinema. 1999’s Rosetta and 2005’s L’Enfant both won the duo the prestigious Palme D’or at the Cannes Film Festival in those years while their 2002 film Le Fils (The Son) won their longtime collaborator Oliver Gourmet the Best Actor prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. In 2008, the duo returned to the film scene with their seventh feature film Le Silence de Lorna (Lorna’s Silence).

Written and directed by the Dardenne brothers, Le Silence de Lorna tells the story of an Albanian woman married to a drug addict as she hopes to get out of the marriage and fulfill her dream. Meeting a man she wants to marry for business purposes, she runs into trouble for herself and the man that she really loves. Starring Arta Dobroshi, Jeremie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, and Oliver Gourmet. Le Silence de Lorna is a compelling yet haunting drama from the Dardenne Brothers.

Lorna (Arta Dobroshi) is a young Albanian woman who works at a clothing plant trying to save up money so she and her boyfriend Sokol (Alban Ukaj) could own and run a snack shop. Yet, in order to make the kind of money to buy a place with Sokol working around all over Europe. She needed to be in a fake marriage orchestrated by an Italian taxi driver named Fabio (Fabrizio Rongione) who hopes to become a gang boss. Fabio has Lorna marry a young junkie named Claudy (Jeremie Renier) as after two weeks of marriage, Lorna wants a divorce. Even as she learns that Claudy is struggling to get clean while Lorna is getting closer to her dream.

Following a bad withdrawal reaction, Claudy is sent to the hospital as Lorna isn’t sure what to do as she turns to Fabio for help. Fabio is arranging for Lorna to marry a Russian named Andrei (Anton Yakovlev) so he can get a European passport once Lorna gets her Belgium citizenship ID. First, they need to get Claudy out of the picture as Lorna tries to do things to get the divorce to happen. Yet, Claudy’s issues and his struggle to stay clean complicate things as Lorna gains feelings for him over his plight. After that moment, things become more complicated as Lorna is getting closer to her dream along with her next marriage to Andrei. Still, she is dealing with further issues that might prevent the chance for her dream as Fabio is becoming more upset with what Lorna is facing.

While the film’s lack of plot is about a woman being part of a sham marriage to make money. It’s really about a woman being put into a situation to make a better life for herself and her boyfriend who is somewhere around Europe to work as they meet a few times a month. Yet, she’s also surrounded by two different men who are helping make this happen as part of a deal. One is a taxi driver trying to organize everything so he can make some money and so can she. Then there’s a heroin addict trying to get clean but he’s struggling with withdrawal along with the fact that he’s kind of a child of sorts who only wants money for cigarettes (when he’s not desperate for drugs).

The Dardenne brothers don’t create characters that are caricatures nor one-dimensional but actual human beings that are flawed and have motives. Fabio might seem like a villain because of the way he organizes things for his own ambitions as a crime boss. Yet, he is also someone who cares for Lorna by taking her to the hospital and helping her out as he’s really just a middle-man. Then there’s Lorna who is a complicated woman as she is trying to all she can to open a snack bar. While she doesn’t love Claudy, she does care about him as she asks him to hit her for a quickie divorce but he’s not able to. She takes matters into her own hands but would come with a price as the screenplay is definitely intriguing in its character study.

The direction of the Dardenne brothers is very engaging as the duo does do a lot of the same things in their cinema verite approach to filmmaking like in previous films. Yet, they also broaden their approach with a lot less shaky hand-held cameras while maintaining something that is very straightforward. This lack of style in their direction might be put off some viewers but they know how to make it not boring. Even as they provide some wonderful wide shots of a city in Belgium along with some overhead shots of cars driving on a highway. Yet, it plays to their themes of the struggle of the working class as they don’t sugarcoat nor exaggerate anything that is shown on film. It’s clear that the Dardenne Brothers are refining their technique more as filmmakers while becoming more confident as storytellers.

Cinematographer Alain Marcoen does an excellent job with the photography that strays a bit from the grainy look of previous Dardenne brother films as it complements more of the colorful look of the film. Even as it plays to its naturalist yet cinema verite style without being too gritty as it’s one of the film’s technical highlights. Editor Marie-Helene Dozo does a fine job with the editing in maintaining a leisured pace that isn’t very slow in terms of what is typical of European films. At the same time, Dozo brings a very straightforward to the editing with smooth yet jumpy transitions and rhythmic jump-cuts for some of the film’s dramatic moments.

Production designer Igor Gabriel does a nice job with the set design for the film such as the apartment that Lorna and Claudy live in along with the place that Lorna works at where most of the film is shot on location. Costume designer Monic Parelle does a great job with the costumes from the casual clothes the men wear to the more stylish clothing that Lorna wears including a red sweater, red pants, and all sorts of styles that play up to her personality. Sound editor Julie Brenta does a good job with the sound work to help enhance the location and surroundings the characters are in. Even in scenes where there’s music playing on location to make it feel real as possible.

The casting is another highlight of the film as it features such Dardenne Brother regulars like Morgan Marinne as Fabio’s henchman Spirou and Oliver Gourmet as a police inspector. Other notable performances include Mireille Bailly as a sympathetic nurse who tries to help Lorna out in her situation, Grigori Manoukov as Andrei’s interpreter, and Anton Yakovlev as the Russian immigrant Andrei who just wants a passport. Alban Ukaj is very good as Lorna’s boyfriend Sokol who has high hopes for his future with Lorna only to become upset following her own issues. Jeremie Renier is great as Claudy, a junkie struggling to get clean as he clings to Lorna for help while trying to do what is right for himself and Lorna.

Fabrizio Rongione is excellent as Fabio, a taxi driver trying to help Lorna make deals while reminding her of what is at stake while struggling with what is going on. Finally, there’s Arta Dobroshi is a superb breakthrough performance as Lorna. Dobroshi plays a young woman striving to do what is best for herself and her future while dealing with the complications surrounding her journey. Dobroshi brings a realistic yet subtle performance as a young woman caught in a scheme where she is supposed to do things their way only to undo things in the process. It’s a very chilling yet mesmerizing performance from the young actress from the Albanian actress.

Le Silence de Lorna is a powerful yet harrowing film from the Dardenne brothers featuring a brilliant performance from Arta Dobroshi. Fans of the Dardenne brothers will no doubt see this as one of their finest films to date while be amazed by how they’re refining their craft as filmmakers. Notably as it’s an indication that the Dardenne brothers are one of the best filmmakers working today. In the end, Le Silence de Lorna is a triumphant film from the Dardenne Brothers.

Dardenne Brothers Films: (Falsch) - (I Think of You) - La promesse - Rosetta - The Son - L'Enfant - The Kid with a Bike - Two Days, One Night - The Unknown Girl - Young Ahmed - Tori & Lokita

© thevoid99 2011

L'Enfant

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/14/08.

The Belgium duo of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are considered to be one of the finest brother writer/director duos of European cinema. 1999's Rosetta was a surprise smash at the Cannes Film Festival which won the duo their first Palme D'or. Known for their stark yet engrossing take on the struggles of poor and working class as well as oppression. The duo has been acclaimed all over Europe while receiving some attention in the U.S. with other award-winning films such as Le Fils (The Son) in 2001 and in 2005, the duo would win another Palme D'or with their fourth feature film entitled L'Enfant (The Child).

Written and directed by the Dardenne Brothers, L'Enfant tells the story of a young couple whose life of petty crime and welfare takes a changing turn when the young woman has become pregnant. When the young man decides to sell their child to the black market, things go wrong as he tries to right the wrongs that he's committed. A harrowing yet eerie portrayal of the poor in Belgium, it's a film that shows the Dardenne Brothers taking their documentary-style filmmaking to new heights. Starring Jeremie Renier, Deborah Francois, Jeremie Segard, Fabrizio Rongione, and Olivier Gourmet. L'Enfant is an eerie, harrowing, yet powerful masterpiece from the Dardenne Brothers.

A young woman named Sonia (Deborah Francois) is walking in the streets carrying her newborn baby named Jimmy looking for her boyfriend Bruno (Jeremie Renier), a petty thief trying to make money from stealing things with help from a young boy named Steve (Jeremie Segard). When Sonia finds Bruno, she reveals to him their new baby as he's more concerned with money as he's trying to steal and sell things through the black market. While he loves Sonia, he doesn’t know how to react to a new child as the two are running out of money and living in a drab apartment. Then one day, Bruno calls to wonder how much he money he could get if he is able to sell the child for adoption. Taking the baby while Sonia waits in line to collect her welfare check, Bruno makes a deal to sell the baby where he hopes that he and Sonia wouldn't have to live with the burden of raising a child.

When Sonia learns that Bruno has sold their child, she passes out as she is rushed to the hospital as she becomes extremely distraught. Bruno decides to get the baby back as he had gets confronted by a policeman (Olivier Gourmet) about the whereabouts of the baby. Bruno creates an alibi as he later goes to his mother's home where he asks her (Mireille Bailly) to go along with his alibi. Bruno makes a call to get the baby returned to him where he makes a deal to return the money he received plus his cell phone for the exchange of the child. Yet, he finds himself in deep debt as the black market dealer (Fabrizio Rongione) wants the same amount he’s been given. Though Jimmy has now returned, Sonia however, is still angry with him as she refuses to speak to him. Aware of his debt, Bruno turns to Steve for help as they go into another plot of theft that proves to be costly as Bruno is now aware of his moral dilemma.

While the film's plot is a bit simple about a young man having a child, selling it, then getting it back, and get himself into even more trouble. The Dardenne Brothers eschews plot in favor of character development as well as a narrative style that's very loose yet engrossing. The film is really about a young man, driven by his poor economic standing, where he learns about survival at its most harshest, not just physically but emotionally, mentally, and morally. While it's clear that Bruno is a character who is 20 years old, he has no idea on what it's like to be an adult or be a father. So in some respects, here's a character who has done something bad and early on, has no morality only to realize there's no price tag on a child or on love. His attempts to redeem himself is another fascinating journey itself though it starts off in a way that's morally wrong.

The Dardenne Brothers through their loose yet fascinating script is marked largely by their cinema verite style of directing. With their background in documentary films, the Dardenne Brothers definitely create an observant, freeing approach to the scenes they create. With very little cutting, the film has an elliptical approach to the pacing but it works to convey the journey of Bruno and his innocent yet chaotic relationship with Sonia. The film's ending is wonderfully handled as the Dardenne Brothers don't sentimentalize Bruno's moral decision and its aftermath but rather dwell on its emotional impact between him and Sonia. While the Dardenne Brothers also explore the world of Belgium's own economy and its affect on people living on welfare. Their approach to the political commentary is subtle without having to delve into heavily that would turn off audiences. The result is overall solid, engrossing, and certainly harrowing film from the Dardenne Brothers.

Cinematographer Alain Marcoen is wonderful colorful and realistic without any kind of grain of flashiness in the photography. Instead, Marcoen's work is superb for its realism in its cinema verite style. The editing by Marie-Helene Dozo is the film's true technical highlight for its shifting of sequence to sequence where most of the shots are done in one take and then moves into another scene or location with a cut. The editing is wonderful on knowing when not to cut. Production designer Igor Gabriel is excellent for its realistic look of the drab apartment that Bruno and Sonia lives along with look of the riverside shack that Bruno and Steve work on.

Costume designer Monic Parelle is excellent for its realism from the green t-shirt Steve wears to the clothing that Sonia wears to convey their own class standing. The sound work by recordist Quentin Collette and editing by Benoit De Clerck is superb for its documentary style, even in the film's climatic chase scene in the third act. The film doesn't feature a music soundtrack since there's no score to surround it to convey an unconventional approach to the film where there's no dramatic score to heighten a scene.

The cast is superb with a total of 21 babies playing the role of Jimmy along with smaller performances from Mireille Bailly as Bruno's mother, Fabrizio Rongione as Bruno's main dealer, Olivier Gourmet as a cop, and Anne Gerard as a police inspector near the end of the film. Jeremie Segard is excellent in a supporting role as Steve, a teenage thief who helps Bruno in his deeds but when he gets heavily involve a theft that nearly costs his life, he questions his own loyalty to Bruno.

Deborah Francois is great as Sonia, a young 18-year old woman who is trying to be a mother despite her poor background as she loves Bruno but hopes for him to grow up. Jeremie Renier is superb in his role as Bruno, an immature thief more concerned with money than a baby only to have his own moral development when he tries to do what is right but is always messing things up. Renier is the film's best performance for his portrayal of a conflicted young man showing someone seeking redemption in places where he's done so much wrong.

The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, the film was a surprise winner considering that the Dardenne Brothers were underdogs going up against the likes of Jim Jarmusch, Michael Hanake, Tommy Lee Jones, Gus Van Sant, Lars von Trier, and other top international directors. Instead, the Dardenne Brothers would become one of the rare filmmakers to win the Palme D'or twice as their victory was a huge surprise. The film was released to the U.S. in early 2006 to rave reviews as the Dardenne Brothers prove to have established themselves as a solid filmmaking force.

L'Enfant is a truly superb, raw, and harrowing drama from the Dardenne Brothers. For audiences of international, foreign art-house films will no doubt enjoy this while those new to the Dardenne Brothers will find this film as a great place to start along with 1999's Rosetta. With great leading performances from Jeremie Renier and Deborah Francois, it's a film that isn’t easy to watch as well as unconventional. Yet, in the end, L'Enfant is a truly devastating yet engrossing film from Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne.

Dardenne Brothers Films: (Falsch) - (I Think of You) - La promesse - Rosetta - The Son - Lorna's Silence - The Kid with a Bike - Two Days, One Night - The Unknown Girl - Young Ahmed - Tori & Lokita

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