The Kid with a Bike
Le Gamin au vélo

This compassionate yet unsentimental film works as both romantic fairly tale and slice-of-tough-life neo-realism. The depiction of the kid in The Kid With a Bike is a very honest one. Tomas Doret’s Cyril is not the most likable tyke to flash across the silver screen and this truthful characterization of a troubled youth, abandoned by his father and left in the hands of the state, gives the film its edge. The remarkably touching and human performance of Cecile De France is what gives the film its soul. This is the kind of film the French just do better than Americans. The Dardenne Brothers (The Son, L’enfant) never stoop to cheap sentiment, or over explain the motivations of the characters in order to make their actions more acceptable or understandable.  Everything just unfolds in a completely naturalistic way, making the film succeed on all levels.

The film pays subtle homage to great films of the past like The Red Balloon and The Bicycle Thief and these cinematic nuances help to make a film that is occasionally difficult to watch moment-to-moment, a pleasure upon reflection. The ending is both tense and deeply satisfying, as we really feel we know these people by the time the third act arrives, and we genuinely care about what will happen to them. There is a lot of bleakness in this story, but a lot of hope too.