The Kid with a Bike (Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, 2011): Belgium, France & Italy

Reviewed by Yuichi K. Viewed at Rigler, Egyptian on AFI Fest 2011, Hollywood.

“The kid wishes to meet his father.” For many children, their parents are very important as guardians.

Cyril (Thomas Doret) is an 11-year-old boy in a dormitory, surrounded by a fence. For Cyril, soon facing his teenage, it’s a very small closed world, and his only way to know about outside the world is phone calls with his father(Jérémie Renier). One day, suddenly, his father moves without telling to Cyril. Cyril tries to get his father’s apartment, but there is empty. Just one his father left for Cyril is his bike.

This story shows an adventure for the curiosities of the new world whoever kids have. As if Cyril’s bike is described as a symbol of freedom, he rides the bike and discovers a lot of new things. He finds new friends, and also joins youngsters. These extreme experiences, compared with his dormitory life, all lead his growth to a teenager. To think Cyril’s behaviors for Samantha(Cécile De France), his new friends, and his feelings with the bike, audiences must be nostalgic.

The Kid with a Bike is originally opened in Canne Film Festival in 2011. The directors are Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne, brothers.  Their film “Rosetta”(1999) and “L’Enfant”(2005) were both awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. They are also the writers for this film. For the lead actor, Thomas Doret, acted for Cyril, this film is the first film performance in public. Cécile De France, acted for Samantha, is known for Clint Eastwood’s “Hereafter,” and also selected for one of Variety’s Top Ten Actors to watch(2010).

Generally, “bike” is one of important tools for our childhood. For the first time, kids get bikes, they think where we can go by bike. It’s shorten time, and they can get a chance to have a friends far away home. The freedom and secrets they find may be unforgettable. I think this film is incomplete without audiences because Cyril’s experiences are also a part of audience’s experiences. “The Kid with a Bike” shows the bitter and sweet experiences whoever have.