gregking4 Review of The Kid with a Bike

The Kid with a Bike (2011)

simple yet emotionally involving and very human coming of age story

[7/10 · 9 June 2012]

There are a lot of films screening in MIFF this year that seem to deal with children on journeys of self-discovery and learning to make their way through the difficult emotional terrain of adolescence. This new film from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (Rosetta, The Child, etc) is a deceptively simple yet emotionally involving and very human coming of age story, and it delivers some strong moral messages and explores universal themes. Eleven-year old Cyril (played by Thomas Doret) has been sent by his father to live foster care. When dad leaves home without telling Cyril, he sets out to find him, which sets in place a moving journey of discovery. Cyril is taken in by local hairdresser Samantha (Cecile de France), but she struggles to cope with his angry nature. The film explores the volatile relationship that develops between the angry and troubled Cyril and Samantha, who becomes a surrogate mother. Young Doret is sensational in his role, and delivers a wonderfully mature performance as the damaged but persistent Cyril, who brings plenty of emotional baggage with him. He is looking for an adult he can trust, which leads to some misjudgments. As Cyril rides aimlessly around the estate on his bicycle he is befriended by Wes (Egon Di Mateo), a local thug, who drags the naïve boy into some criminal activity. The Dardenne brothers direct the material in non-judgemental and sympathetic fashion. They effectively use fluid long shots to follow Cyril's journey, which draws the audience into this beautifully observed world. Interestingly, Jérémie Renier, who appeared in the Dardenne's 2005 drama The Child, plays Cyril's father here.