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

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

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

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

© thevoid99 2011

Rosetta

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/18/06 w/ Additional Edits & a New Conclusion.

The Belgian team of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are considered to be one of the finest filmmaking team in European cinema. Known for making documentaries and acclaimed features that started with their 1996 international breakthrough, La Promesse (The Promise) about the harsh conditions of illegal immigrants working illegally. The success of that film helped the Dardenne Brothers become prominent figures in European cinema as 2002's Le Fils (The Son) won more international acclaim as did 2005's L'Enfant (The Child) which won the duo their second Palme D'or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. The first time they won the prestigious award was in 1999 in a film about a young woman trying to get a job to care for her ailing mother in Rosetta.

Written and directed by the Dardenne Brothers, Rosetta is about a young woman who lives in a poor town section in Belgium seeking to get a job. Due to the rules of the country and society, Rosetta hopes to get a job to not only become a part of society but to care for her alcoholic mother. Playing the title role is a then-unknown actress named Emilie Dequenne in her film debut as the duo uses the shaky, hand-held documentary-like style of filmmaking that helped them gain international attention. Also starring Anne Yernaux, Fabrizio Rongione, and Olivier Gourmet. Rosetta is a gripping, powerful drama from the Dardenne Brothers.

After being fired from a trial factory job despite being a good worker, Rosetta continues to struggle with her young life while taking care of her mother (Anne Yernaux) who resorts alcoholism and prostitution. Forced to sell old clothes and other things just get money for food, she would often ask someone for a job including her friend Riquet (Fabrizio Rongione). Amidst the chaos of her desire to find work, her home life is even worse as she lives in a very poor trailer park where her trailer often has no running water and the conditions are poor. Her mother is depressed and desperate to have some kind of alcohol. Frustrated by everything including how her mother would let herself become a wh*re, she is desperate to get things as Riquet finds her a job.

Getting a trial job to work in a bakery, Rosetta hopes to use the job and money to get her mother into treatment for her alcoholism. Unfortunately, the attempt to get her mother cleans as she falls into a pond full of mud. Upset over the incident and what's going on in her life, she spends the night at Riquet's home who tries to cheer her up but is only interested in wanting to get through the next day. Hoping to focus more on work, she is upset when she learns that her boss (Olivier Gourmet) is forced to fire so he can put his son to work after he got kicked out of school. With a troubling stomach pain and her trailer park’s janitor watching her, she falls into depression until Riquet tries to help her out once again.

After helping Riquet after he fell onto the park's muddy pond, Rosetta plans a scheme to get herself a job. She tells her former boss, who is also Riquet's employer in the waffle stand business, a lie that leads to Riquet being fired. The plan worked as Rosetta takes Riquet's job of running a waffle stand yet is stalked by her friend for taking the job. Still, no matter how hard she works, she still has to come home and find her mother passed out drunk leaving her to face another kind of reality.

Given to their background in documentary filmmaking, it's clear that the Dardenne Brothers chose to aim for realism in the sense of situations and locations. Especially on the technical front where many of the aesthetics is clearly inspired from the Dogme 95 movement where all films have to be shot on location with no added sound and all the camera work is hand-held. It's an approach to the film's direction along with close-ups and still shots that allows the audience to take part into Rosetta's situation. It's not just their direction that works but their script that allows the sense of realism to the point that there's a sense of repetition in the way Rosetta would go home, take off her shoes and grab her boots from a pipe while doing her usual activities at home. There, the Dardenne Brothers' screenplay brings enough situations and heartache to the character of Rosetta.

Helping the Dardenne Brothers in the camera work is cinematographer Alain Marcoen who doesn't go for the grainy look of Dogme but a more traditional yet colorful look to the film while retaining its gritty features. Production designer Igor Gabriel and costume designer Monic Parelle also plays to the film's gritty features to make the look of the movie authentic from the poorness of the trailer park to the clothes that Rosetta wears where usually, she's wearing a gym coat. In tradition to the realness of Dogme 95, the sound work of Thomas Gauder reveals the sound of the street and motorcycles to bring an atmosphere. Editor Marie-Helene Dozo does great work in giving the film some rhythm in the editing with some nice, jump-cut styles and leaving moments for the director to take a long shot. While there's no music played throughout the entire film, it's only one on scene from an original piece by Jean-Pierre Coco during a scene when Riquet tries to cheer up Rosetta.

The film's cast has memorable moments in the small role whether its Bernard Marbaix as the trailer park manager, Thomas Gallas as the Mother's boyfriend, and Frederic Bodson as Rosetta’s first boss. Longtime Dardenne collaborator Olivier Gourmet gives an excellent performance as Rosetta’s boss in the bakery and waffle scenes who understands her desire to work only to get caught up in her scheme just to give her a job. Gourmet is excellent in his role as does Fabrizio Rongione as Riquet who tries to help Rosetta in every way as his character has a major development from loyalty to frustration as he falls for her scheme. Anne Yernaux is also great in the role of Rosetta’s mother who brings the sense of depression and unwillingness to clean herself up as she stands out in a very complex role.

Finally, there's Emilie Dequenne in a real breakout performance in the title role. In her film debut, Dequenne brings all the realness and struggle of a young woman searching to get a real job. Even with a crippling stomach pain and all the anxieties and pressures her mother puts her, Dequenne sells every moment of heartbreak while in the third act, we see her forced to deal with guilt and a new kind of reality. For a debut performance, it's truly one of the more remarkable performances of the decade as Dequenne along with the likes of Elodie Bouchez, Ludivine Sagnier, Natacha Regnier, and Audrey Tautou in the new generation of French actresses.

When Rosetta premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival in competition along with Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock, Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother, Michael Winterbottom's Wonderland, Peter Greenway's 8 ½ Women, Atom Egoyan's Felicia's Journey, David Lynch's The Straight Story, John Sayles' Limbo, and Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog. The little known Belgium film pulled a huge upset when it beat many perennial favorites including Almodovar's All About My Mother which Almodovar won Best Director. In the end, Rosetta won the Palme D;or for the Dardenne Brothers while Emilie Dequenne shared the Best Actress prize that year with Severine Caneele for L'Humanite by Bruno Dumont.

Rosetta is a haunting yet mesmerizing film from the Dardenne Brothers.  Audiences new to the brothers will see this as a great place to start which would prepare for them for later films like Le Fils, L'Enfant, and Le Silence de Lorna.  Featuring a remarkable performance from Emilie Dequenne, it's definitely a film that revels into what young people go through at a time when they were willing to do anything during a troubled economy.  In the end, Rosetta is a powerful film from the Dardenne Brothers.

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

© thevoid99 2011