Tag Archives: luc dardenne

With no bells, whistles or fanfare, the Dardenne brothers – Jean-Pierre and Luc – have been writing, producing and directing their own brand of Belgian naturalism since the ’90s. Before that they made documentaries. Ignored by the multiplexes, but loved by the critics, their modest, moving films sound eminently missable. …

Abandoned by his feckless dad (Jérémie Renier), 12-year-old Cyril (Thomas Doret) lives in a state-run home and is fostered on weekends by hairdresser Samantha (Cécile de France). Days are spent looking for his ‘stolen’ bike (his dad sold it), and, indeed, his father, as he inexorably gravitates towards delinquency. The …