The Kid with a Bike (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne) [90 points / 9 votes]
"The Kid with a Bike is possibly the closest the Dardennes have come, to date, to making a “traditional” movie. Known for a pared down, ultra-realist approach to filmmaking, their body of work has traditionally abstained from many commonplace devices such camera set-ups, tight scripting, use of music, and (the biggest of the bunch) endings. Dardenne films tend to end abruptly, in media res, the message being that while the camera may be off, the characters and the story will continue on. Much like life, beginnings and endings are never black and white.
Bike tells the story of Cyril (the brilliant Thomas Doret, my pick for Best Actor), a young boy who has been abandoned by his father. Cyril clings to his bicycle, most likely a gift from the Father and the only thing in the child's life to show for the relationship he so deeply yearns for. The drama that unfolds takes on a deeper, almost melodramatic tone as the Dardennes introduce what is only their second use of music in a film to date. Using only a few brief chords from Beethoven's "Adagio," the filmmaker's heighten their craft and transcend what has become their signature style. What follows will perhaps go down as one of the most heartbreaking yet inspiring films of this decade: as Cyril struggles to make a connection in the world, the film literally reaches out to us at moments and sings. The results are simply magnificent. The Dardennes do not betray the reality they are so careful to create; they are merely brave enough this time around to give it a weapon. Fuck 3-D. Give me Beethoven." - Adam Lemke
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