The Kid with a Bike is an extraordinary film that tells a riveting story of unconditional love. It is emotionally powerful without being sentimental and is gripping without stunts and explosions.
A 12-year-old boy wants to find the father who dumped him at a children’s home, but meets a woman who becomes his de facto foster mom. In the face of overwhelming evidence, the boy refuses to acknowledge the possibility that his father doesn’t want him. He becomes angry, acts out and is poised to make life-ruining choices. His one chance in life is the woman who is drawn to caring for him, but he could alienate her, too.
The writer-directors, the Belgian brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardennes, are two of my favorite film makers (The Son, Rosetta). Their gift is minimalistic filmmaking that addresses fundamental themes like love, loss, forgiveness and belonging. To avoid sappiness, they set their stories in gritty industrial towns and employ vividly realistic characters. As all their work, The Kid with a Bike is an unvarnished and utterly realistic looking film. This helps them create a fable about absolute goodness and the saving of another human being and present it in a credible, unsentimental and immediate package.
The Dardennes are known for their success with untrained actors, and here Thomas Doret is excellent as the kid – energetic, longing and single-minded. The Belgian-born French star Cecille De France (Hereafter, The Spanish Apartment) is wonderful as the foster mom – steadfast but unknowable. The compelling actor Olivier Gourmet (The Son, Rosetta, Mesrine) briefly appears in a bit part.
It’s one of the best films of the year.
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