I am a fan of the frères Dardenne, so I went to see L'Infant hoping to have another wonderful time at the movies, especially since it had won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Well, forget it. Been there, done that. This film brings absolutely nothing new to the Dardenne's style or subject matter. It was less original than Le Fils and certainly less gripping than La Promesse (my favourite). The only thing I would like to add here is a comment about the title. I think most people have missed the point. Most people feel that the "child" being mentioned here is the baby. I would tend to think that the real "child" in this film is the father, Bruno, who is totally incapable of being a father in any but the biological sense. In fact, almost all of his actions are those of a self-centred child - until he finally takes responsibility for his actions near the end of the film. Unfortunately, the film seems to wander around trying to find meaning as much as its main character. Better luck next time.
