2005, Belgium/France
Crime, Drama
Upon leaving the hospital with her newborn, a young girl seeks out the father of her son. She finds him hustling the streets for change, waiting to hit his next mark. Completely disinterested in this new being before him, he fails to acknowledge this sudden responsibility. Director brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Rosetta) present a snapshot of a newly created family with no concept of such a relationship.
Bruno (Jérémie Renier) is a young man who only knows life on the streets, and has no desire to pursue a more honest existence. He and his girlfriend Sonia (Déborah François) wrestle and tease each other as if they were in middle school, swapping cigarettes and punches with no regard to the baby laying nearby. His means of an income involves a small gang of thieving children. Each roll of money is earned and spent in the same day, and a steady job is lightly dismissed as unnecessary.
Bruno is remarkably selfish and views every interaction as a means for gaining cash. As he exchanges his stolen goods, he is casually told that his new baby could even be transacted for a healthy wad of money. Flighty and impetuous, Bruno’s mind never comprehends the consequences of this possible action. The baby is merely an object that can be replaced in nine months. It quickly becomes apparent that the film’s titular child is not his offspring, but this manchild who has never learned right from wrong or the responsibilities of adulthood.
François delivers her role with playful glee when interacting with Renier, but after carrying a child within her, her character is far more aware of her newfound position than the father. Renier is light and immature without appearing as a caricature. His complete lack of understanding is almost impressive, as no trials seem to penetrate his rubber casing; everything bounces off and nothing sticks.
As the story progresses and the results of his actions become more severe, reality slowly seeps into his thoughtless self. Slowly. Every time he appears to gain an ounce of acknowledgement concerning his dealings, he looses a pound through his constant lies fueled by greed. The relationships upon which he does not even realize he depends are fragile and thin, and it is understandably hard for the other halves to realize when he is in earnest. He is not cruel, he merely is unaware that he should have outgrown the world he created many years ago.
The brothers Dardenne have created the realism of a life in the gutter without depression. These kids are not without opportunities, but they fail to recognize available resources. Bruno is unsympathetic, and yet the viewer wants him to grow for the sake of those around him. It is easy to pounce upon every glimmer of hope, because it is so hard to believe in someone so shut off from true emotions. The brothers have created an interesting character that is so completely uncomplicated that he deserves special attention. The child is actually an adult, he only needs to acknowledge himself.
DVD extras include previews and a radio interview with the two directors. They discuss the pressure of living up to their previous Cannes success, inspiration for the film, the forgotten society represented in the film and the importance of the actors using a real baby.