Sometimes the best parent isn’t your own. Cyril (Thomas Doret) is almost 12 and has just one plan – to find his father (Jérémie Renier). He left Cyril in a children’s home and didn’t return. When Cyril meets Samantha (Cécile de France), who runs a hairdressing salon and agrees to let him stay with her at weekends, the boy doesn’t immediately recognise the love Samantha feels for him. But it’s something he desperately needs to calm his rage.
Featuring emotionally powerful performances from their cast, the Dardenne’s 2011 Cannes Grand Prix-winning drama is, by turns, funny and moving. A perfect example of their naturalistic style of filmmaking, it also features superb performances by its leads, particularly Doret, whose rebellious spirit recalls the young Antoine Doinel in Truffaut’s classic ‘The 400 Blows’.
★★★★ “The Dardenne brothers’ heartfelt, bold film revisits their classic themes of parenthood, trust and love” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
