L'enfant (2005)

Note des utilisateurs:

7.4/10   

Directors:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Luc Dardenne

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne (writer)
Luc Dardenne (writer)

Release Date:

14 septembre 2005 (Belgium)

Genre:

Crime | Drame | Romance

Plot:

Bruno and Sonia, a young couple living off her benefit and the thefts committed by his gang, have a new source of money: their newborn son.

Plot Keywords:

Baby | Thief | Redemption | Car Chase | France

Awards:

11 wins & 12 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

Survival, desperation and parenthood on the streets of Seraing

Ensemble

Jérémie Renier	...	Bruno
Déborah François	...	Sonia
Jérémie Segard	...	Steve
Fabrizio Rongione	...	Jeune Bandit
Olivier Gourmet	...	Policier en civil
Anne Gerard	...	Commerçante (as Anne Gérard)
Bernard Marbaix	...	Commerçant
Jean-Claude Boniverd	...	Le Policier en civil
Frédéric Bodson	...	Bandit plus âgé
Marie-Rose Roland	...	Une infirmière
Leon Michaux	...	Policier Commissariat (as Léon Michaux)
Delphine Tomson	...	La fille aux cheveux rouges
Stéphane Marsin	...	Jeune Homme
Samuel De Ryck	...	Thomas
François Olivier	...	Remy
Hicham Tiberkanine	...	Abdel
Hachemi Haddad	...	La concierge du toit
Stéphane Bissot	...	La receleuse
Cécile Boland	...	La vendeuse landau
Annette Closset	...	Infirmière ONE
Alao Kasongo	...	Receptionniste Hôpital
Mireille Bailly	...	Mère Bruno
Jean-Michel Balthazar	...	Le Barman
Philippe Jeusette	...	Le receleur show-room
Salvatore Elliséo	...	L'employé communal
Carl Jadot	...	Ami mère Bruno
Olindo Bolzan	...	Commerçant bis
Sophie Leboutte	...	L'Inspectrice
Bernard Garant	...	Le professeur
Bernard Geurde	...	Le médecin
Claudy Delfosse	...	Le poursuivant
Clément Bouchard	...	Jimmy
Noah Brisy	...	Jimmy
Dorian Cypers	...	Jimmy
Jérémy Dal Farro	...	Jimmy
Saskia De Zassetsky	...	Jimmy
Victor Debon	...	Jimmy
Julien de Keuster	...	Jimmy
Benjamen Di Prima	...	Jimmy
Amandine Gabryl	...	Jimmy
Océane Goffin	...	Jimmy
Denis Gochel	...	Jimmy
Elea Landrin	...	Jimmy
Maël Lebon	...	Jimmy
Mabille Lechantre	...	Jimmy
Aurélien Martin	...	Jimmy
Yan Muraille	...	Jimmy
Guillaume Neycken	...	Jimmy
Renaud Pirotte	...	Jimmy
Bastien Stasse	...	Jimmy
Natacha Steeman	...	Jimmy
Lou Tapai	...	Jimmy

Réalisé par
Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Luc Dardenne

Scénaristes (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Pierre Dardenne		writer
Luc Dardenne		writer

Produit par
Olivier Bronckart	....	executive producer
Jean-Pierre Dardenne	....	producer
Luc Dardenne	....	producer
Denis Freyd	....	producer
Genevieve Lemal	....	associate producer
Alexandre Lippens	....	associate producer
Arlette Zylberberg	....	associate producer

Image
Alain Marcoen

Montage
Marie-Hélène Dozo

Création des décors
Igor Gabriel

Création des costumes
Monic Parelle

Maquillage
Simon Klonowski	....	hair stylist
Tina Kopecka	....	key makeup artist
Aurore Leglay	....	additional makeup artist

Directeur de production
Paul Bogaty	....	assistant unit manager
Philippe Groff	....	unit production manager
Véronique Marit	....	production manager
Philippe Toussaint	....	unit manager
Yoman	....	production supervisor

Assistant réalisateur
Bernard Garant	....	first assistant director
Caroline Tambour	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Didier Berens	....	painter
Thomas Gollas	....	constructor
Geneviève Otte	....	property master
Paul Rouschop	....	assistant decorator

Technicien du son
Nicolas Becker	....	foley artist
Julie Brenta	....	sound editor
Quentin Collette	....	sound recordist
Benoît De Clerck	....	sound editor
Jean-Pierre Duret	....	sound
Thomas Gauder	....	sound
Agnes Ravez	....	assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Hichame Alaouie	....	first assistant camera (as Hicham Alaouié)
Julien Covens	....	grip
Jean Daenen	....	additional electrician
Benoît Dervaux	....	camera operator
Amaury Duquenne	....	second assistant camera
Basile Duquenne	....	assistant camera
Wolfgang Paquay	....	electrician
Christine Plenus	....	still photographer
Eric Waldman	....	gaffer (as Eric Waldmann)

Casting Department
Barnabé Duquenne	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mylène Fraszczak	....	wardrobe
Laurence Maréchal	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Patrick Delamotte	....	color timer
Rachel Lamisse	....	assistant editor
Sophie Vercruysse	....	assistant editor

Divers
Thomas Alfandari	....	post-production manager: France
Marie-Christine Damiens	....	press attache: France
Maryanne De Backer	....	production secretary
Philippe Groff	....	location manager
Frédérique Larmagnac	....	production assistant: R.T.B.F.
Isabelle Lecomte	....	production secretary: France
Marika Piedboeuf	....	script supervisor
Valérie Pitrebois	....	production assistant
Catherine Poels	....	press attache
Jean-François Tefnin	....	production administrator
Delphine Tomson	....	production assistant
Véronique Troyas	....	production assistant: France
Barbara Blades Turska	....	accountant: France
Francis Tyssaen	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Les Films du Fleuve
• Archipel 33 (co-production)
• Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF) (co-production)
• arte France Cinéma (co-production)
• Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Communauté Française de Belgique (participation)
• Eurimages (participation)
• Loterie Nationale de Belgique (participation)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• Wallimage (participation)
• SCOPE Invest

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Aerofilms (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Amazonia Films (2005-2010) (Venezuela) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Bazuca Films (2005) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Celluloid Dreams (2005) (worldwide) (all media)
• Dendy Films (2006) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Diaphana Films (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• First Distributors (2005) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lighthouse Pictures (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Mongrel Media (2005) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Movie Bank (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• VPRO Television (2008) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Xenix Filmdistribution (2005-2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Eye-Lite  camera equipment provided by
• B&L Lighting Services  camera equipment provided by
• B&L Lighting Services  electrical equipment
• Deux Temps Trois Mouvements  sound equipment
• Lumitre Unique  editing facilities
• Microfilms  titles
• Montage Films Thauvin  negative editing
• Studio l'Équipe  sound mixing
• Tintamarre  sound mixing

Autre(s) titre(s):

The Child (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for brief language.

Durée:

France:95 min | France:100 min | USA:100 min | Argentina:95 min

Pays:

Belgium | France

Langue:

Français

Couleur:

Couleur

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Son:

Dolby Digital

Classification:

Netherlands:AL | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Belgium:KT | USA:R | Czech Republic:15 | Taiwan:GP | Sweden:11 | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:16 | Brazil:12 | Brazil:16 (Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival) | Hungary:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:12

Emplacements De Pelliculage:

Seraing, Belgium

Company:

Les Films du Fleuve

Anecdotes:

Jimmy is played by 21 different babies.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Smagsdommerne: (#3.17)" (2006)

Survival, desperation and parenthood on the streets of Seraing

L'Infant is the deserving winner of several awards, including the prestigious Palm d'Or at Cannes. The directors manage to achieve an engrossing simple, and tragic story which weaves several coming-of-age themes together without sacrificing a second of realism. Although the two leads are equally important to the development of the film, the action follows Bruno (Jeremie Reinier), a troubled, unstable, young man who lives at the fringes of society stealing and fencing with the help of a couple of young kids. Before the action of the film begins, Sonja (Deborah Francois), a young working class girl trying to make a life for herself, has fallen in love with Bruno and had a son with him. In the first few minutes of the film, she is carrying the infant through the streets of Seraing searching for Bruno, whose only method of contact, his cell phone, has run out of credit. When the couple are united, Bruno seems cheery and hopeful, but it is his love for Sonja that we are seeing here, and this love, though genuine, is the immature love of a man whose emotional growth has been stunted by the choices he habitually makes. Throughout most of the rest of the film, we are privy to several examples of these choices, and Bruno is placed in a position where he must either lose all hope and self-respect or commit himself to recognize his own responsibility (i.e. grow up), while the immediate prospects of doing either are unpleasant.

The film explores a number of important issues very sympathetically and yet with merciless realism. The film does not even distract its audience with a soundtrack. What is being said in the film is too important to waste on mere entertainment. L'infant is politically libertarian - emphasizing the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions. Attached to this painfully examined central theme are more familiar and obvious issues of adulthood, morality, love, romance, fatherhood, and survival.

The directing and script are flawless. The acting is superb - especially the two leads. You will instantly fall in love with Sonja, and as despicable as he is, it is hard to avoid feeling the same for Jeremie. And these two young actors accomplish this without a soundtrack, excessive editing, or a lot of fancy camera work. Bravo! As art, L'Infant is as straight-forward as you can get. It is unpretentiously filmed in a documentary style, with the camera sometimes getting uncomfortably close to the action in order to highlight the emotional impact of the performances. The camera work is subtle and excellent, but, unlike some of the reviewers, I was aware of the presence of the camera at times. Considering the claustrophobic interior sets, the lack of any form of distraction from the central plot and the hyper-realism of the film, it would be pretty difficult to avoid this completely.

As many others have said, this is an art film. However, its pace is consistent enough and its cinematography subtle enough to make it accessible for standard film audiences. This might be a good way to introduce an open-minded friend to true independent (as opposed to "Indie") and non-Hollywood film.