This is the fourth film I've seen from the Dardenne brothers and, while they're all somewhat on the same level of (high) quality for me, this film has dethroned "La Promesse" as my clear favorite. Like "La Promesse", while a central character in both films certainly causes problems for other people (Roger in "La Promesse" and Cyril in "The Kid With a Bike"), the insecurities which engender their actions are able to complicate and mitigate their bad behavior enough that they don't quite reach unlikable status. With "The Kid With a Bike", Cyril's betrayal by his father and his wish to be loved, albeit by the wrong people, got me to hold out a slight bit of sympathy for him, as challenging as he could be. He clearly felt isolated and lost with Samantha and the avenues he turned to as a last resort to get his life back on track were the culminations to his alienation. Since Samantha was a good person at heart though and genuinely had the best intentions for Cyril (contrary to the characters he turned to for comfort), retaining your sympathy for him can be quite the challenge. Ultimately, the final scene was a brilliant way to end the film. For a bit, I suspected it would end on a tragic, albeit somewhat contrived note, given it occurred directly after things started to look up. Fortunately, we instead get a more nuanced ending. Comparing Cyril's and Samantha's newfound good relations with the newsstand owner and his son (two characters you initially sympathize with) planning to cover up a potential murder highlights the moralistic difference between the two families and the changes they've both gone through. As Cyril rides away, you get the sense that all will be well going forward. I don't know if the Dardenne's will be able to top this film, but I'll keep tabs on their filmography regardless.
Review of The Kid with a Bike
