YNOT at the Movies

The Golden Palm winner at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival is the Belgium film "The Child" (L'Enfant). This film is written/directed by brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne. These two brothers also made excellent films such as "The Son" (Le Fils) and "La Promesse." But they failed me this time.

In "The Child," Bruno just had a baby with his girlfriend Sonia, but that's not what he cares. He is running around the streets begging for money. He steals things for money. Then he even sold the baby for money. When Sonia confronts him, his reason is that they can make another baby. When he realizes that this isn't gonna work, he tries to get the baby back and also gets her girlfriend back, and of course, get more money.

What's the point of the movie? I don't see any. It simply shows a deadbeat scum Bruno who doesn't want to work and who does nothing really meaningful besides stealing and sleeping on the bench of park. I don't see any humanity inside his soul. The film doesn't explore why Bruno is who is, but simply uses a handheld camera to observe his pathetic acts, which is well in the scope of my imagination after his first few scenes. Why should I be interested in Bruno in a close-up? The film didn't say, or I didn't get it.

Right before the credit stars to roll, some lady in the audience said: "Is this the end?" That generated some giggles.

My rating: 3 out of 10.