The Kid With A Bike

Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes 2011, The Kid With A Bike marks another success for Belgian filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Telling the story of a boy abandoned by his father, the film really touches a nerve with the audience.

 Thomas Douret plays 11-year-old Cyril, who is being forced to realise that his father, Guy, has abandoned him in a children’s home and left town. Guy also sold Cyril’s beloved bike to make some money for his getaway. While trying to find his father, Cyril meets Samantha, who offers to let him live with her at weekends. Samantha also tracks down Cyril’s bike and buys it back for him, although the bike leads to several confrontations for Cyril. As a result of one such confrontation, Cyril meets Wes, who attempts to alter Cyril’s innocence and kind nature…

 The Kid With A Bike is Thomas Douret’s first film performance, but it would be hard to tell if you did not know. He packs emotion and anger into the role and delivers an excellently convincing portrayal of Cyril, radiating hurt and vulnerability as he is let down and exploited by adults and peers. In Douret, the Dardennes have found a true talent – even without any film experience, Douret carries the film and is on screen for almost the entire duration without becoming irritating. Despite being one of the Dardenne brothers’ more cheerful films, The Kid With A Bike is full of anger and resentment, and Douret, along with the excellent direction of each scene, embraces and embodies Cyril’s hurt.

 Read the rest at subtitledonline.com