This film is recommended.
The bicycle. No longer just a cherished possession or a simple means of transportation used by common folk. No, the bicycle in question has much more at stake. It is an iconic symbol of freedom, a nostalgic metaphor of our lost youth and childhood innocence, a conduit to a simpler life. In cinematic history, the bicycle has served as the main vehicle to the working class life as in the neo-realistic tearjerker, The Bicycle Thief; in more recent times, the bike literally transports us on a fantasy escape against a moonlit sky, as in E.T. Yes, the bicycle is one amazing and powerful piece of equipment.
Which leads us to the foreign film, The Kid with the Bike, a film that doesn't quite amaze its movie-going audience, but does still deliver a powerful message. Abandoned by his father, young Cyril ( Thomas Doret ) is full of anger and hostility to anyone who comes near. One courageous and kind soul who approaches this troubled boy is Samantha ( Cecile de France ), a hairdresser who hopes to help Cyril through this emotional upheaval. Now this is certainly an interesting premise that immediately hooks the audience into caring about the rescue of this melancholy young man by his newly appointed mother figure.
Belgian filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have fashioned a simple story about a kid whose only direct link to his missing father is his bike. The story is compelling from the start, thanks to the wonderful natural acting of newcomer Doret. This young actor brings with him a brutal honesty and reckless vulnerability to his character. There is also a strong chemistry with deFrance as his guardian, although her character is a bit underwritten and her motives, though saintly, remain unclear. Their acting enhances the thin storyline with a script in need of stronger character development of the supporting characters and their sketchy lives.
The screenplay begins to meander somewhat along the way in locating Cyril's dead-beat dad as Cyril becomes duped by a shady teenager that he encounters, leading him to make some unethical decisions. This meeting builds rather nicely to some tense moments, but it is midway into the film that the directors begin to lose some focus and gloss over the seriousness of Cyril's actions, diminishing the real life and legal ramifications of this behavior in favor of an ironic twist of fate to be used later in the story. This plot device is heavy- handed and weakens the fully-realized depiction of the boy's harsh unforgiving world. The actions of the characters become unconvincing in the film's sudden rose-colored approach to what was once an uncompromising and intense story.
The time spent on this involving subplot undermines the depth of the relationship between Samantha the Good Samaritan and this Little Boy Lost. Were more time spent on defining their bond and explaining the rationale for Samantha's need to nurture this wayward boy, the film could have been more satisfying and memorable. ( In fact, the film's ending almost seems like an unfinished post-script. The Kid with the Bike lulls the audience to believe wholeheartedly in its characters and their situations, only to disappoint with an abrupt conclusion which defeats everything before it and leaves the moviegoer as disoriented as its main character. )
The Dardenne brothers are masterful filmmakers, and their latest film is a well-made venture worthy of your attention. It is a good film that could have easily become a great film with some added scenes of narrative exposition and minor revisions to the script, especially with its unsatisfying climax. But it is what it is, a rare film that tries to take you places emotionally, and for most of the film, it does achieve that commonality. Unfortunately, The Kid with the Bike gets caught in its own nobility, spinning its wheels and ultimately going nowhere, with some purposeful direction, but without much traction. GRADE: B
NOTE: Visit my movie blog for more reviews: www.dearmoviegoer.com
The bicycle. No longer just a cherished possession or a simple means of transportation used by common folk. No, the bicycle in question has much more at stake. It is an iconic symbol of freedom, a nostalgic metaphor of our lost youth and childhood innocence, a conduit to a simpler life. In cinematic history, the bicycle has served as the main vehicle to the working class life as in the neo-realistic tearjerker, The Bicycle Thief; in more recent times, the bike literally transports us on a fantasy escape against a moonlit sky, as in E.T. Yes, the bicycle is one amazing and powerful piece of equipment.
Which leads us to the foreign film, The Kid with the Bike, a film that doesn't quite amaze its movie-going audience, but does still deliver a powerful message. Abandoned by his father, young Cyril ( Thomas Doret ) is full of anger and hostility to anyone who comes near. One courageous and kind soul who approaches this troubled boy is Samantha ( Cecile de France ), a hairdresser who hopes to help Cyril through this emotional upheaval. Now this is certainly an interesting premise that immediately hooks the audience into caring about the rescue of this melancholy young man by his newly appointed mother figure.
Belgian filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have fashioned a simple story about a kid whose only direct link to his missing father is his bike. The story is compelling from the start, thanks to the wonderful natural acting of newcomer Doret. This young actor brings with him a brutal honesty and reckless vulnerability to his character. There is also a strong chemistry with deFrance as his guardian, although her character is a bit underwritten and her motives, though saintly, remain unclear. Their acting enhances the thin storyline with a script in need of stronger character development of the supporting characters and their sketchy lives.
The screenplay begins to meander somewhat along the way in locating Cyril's dead-beat dad as Cyril becomes duped by a shady teenager that he encounters, leading him to make some unethical decisions. This meeting builds rather nicely to some tense moments, but it is midway into the film that the directors begin to lose some focus and gloss over the seriousness of Cyril's actions, diminishing the real life and legal ramifications of this behavior in favor of an ironic twist of fate to be used later in the story. This plot device is heavy- handed and weakens the fully-realized depiction of the boy's harsh unforgiving world. The actions of the characters become unconvincing in the film's sudden rose-colored approach to what was once an uncompromising and intense story.
The time spent on this involving subplot undermines the depth of the relationship between Samantha the Good Samaritan and this Little Boy Lost. Were more time spent on defining their bond and explaining the rationale for Samantha's need to nurture this wayward boy, the film could have been more satisfying and memorable. ( In fact, the film's ending almost seems like an unfinished post-script. The Kid with the Bike lulls the audience to believe wholeheartedly in its characters and their situations, only to disappoint with an abrupt conclusion which defeats everything before it and leaves the moviegoer as disoriented as its main character. )
The Dardenne brothers are masterful filmmakers, and their latest film is a well-made venture worthy of your attention. It is a good film that could have easily become a great film with some added scenes of narrative exposition and minor revisions to the script, especially with its unsatisfying climax. But it is what it is, a rare film that tries to take you places emotionally, and for most of the film, it does achieve that commonality. Unfortunately, The Kid with the Bike gets caught in its own nobility, spinning its wheels and ultimately going nowhere, with some purposeful direction, but without much traction. GRADE: B
NOTE: Visit my movie blog for more reviews: www.dearmoviegoer.com