L’Enfant (2006)
81%RT Audience Score: 72%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
15 wins & 51 nominations total
The Dardennes continue to excel at presenting works of rigorous naturalism, with detached observations of authentic characters that nevertheless resonate with complex moral issues
L’Enfant is a movie that will make you feel like you’re in the gritty streets of Belgium, but don’t worry, you won’t need a passport. This film is a simple moral fable that packs a punch with its nerve and compassion. You’ll find yourself rooting for the pathetic loser of a protagonist, Bruno, despite his questionable actions. The Dardennes brothers have done it again with another ultra-realistic family drama that’s a masterpiece in its own right. So grab some popcorn and get ready for a thrilling ride that will leave you questioning what you would do in Bruno’s shoes.
Production Company(ies)
The Mirisch Corporation,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Deception Pass State Park, Washington, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and brief graphic nudity
Year of Release
2016
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English, Esperanto, German, Chinese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2006
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Déborah François, Jérémie Renier, Jérémie Segard, Fabrizio Rongione, Olivier Gourmet, Stéphane Bissot, directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, written by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Adam Nayman, Victoria Segal, David Ansen, Geoff Andrew, Roger Moore, Richard Nilsen, David Walsh, Richard Propes, Alberto Abuín, Olivia Glazebrook, Emanuel Levy, Fernando F Croce, producer Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd, R rating, crime, punishment, emotional acuity, spiritual purity, teenage pregnancy, sublet apartment, selling a child, redemption, real-time, working-class, industrial Belgium, naturalism, complex moral issues, authentic characters, detached observations
Worldwide gross: $23,123,592
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $28,499,794
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,562
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 3,107,938
US/Canada gross: $5,879,835
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $7,246,888
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,701
US/Canada opening weekend: $93,824
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $115,638
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,878
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $5,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $6,162,493
Production budget ranking: 1,838
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $3,318,502
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $19,018,799
ROI to date (est.): 201%
ROI ranking: 626
Déborah François – Sonia
Jérémie Segard – Steve
Fabrizio Rongione – Young Thug
Olivier Gourmet – Plainclothes Officer
Stéphane Bissot – Receiver
Director(s)
Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Writer(s)
Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Producer(s)
Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
15 wins & 51 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (114) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (96) | Rotten (18)
L’Enfant deals in matters of (organized) crime and punishment without compromising its emotional acuity or spiritual purity.
April 6, 2020
Adam Nayman
The Ringer
TOP CRITIC
L’Enfant shows a world that remains under the radar for most people, yet proves that growing up – however long it takes – is anything but child’s play.
September 26, 2017
Victoria Segal
New Statesman
TOP CRITIC
Unfolding in real time on the scruffy working-class streets of industrial Belgium, this harrowingly intense odyssey charts Bruno’s desperate search for redemption.
November 1, 2007
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
Absolutely terrific.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A simple moral fable told with compassion and nerve.
June 2, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
What is astonishing, and most admirable, is the way the filmmakers manage to create sympathy for this pathetic loser.
May 25, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Nilsen
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
Their depiction of the bleak conditions provides them a certain credibility, but then the filmmakers largely turn their backs on the implications of those conditions.
February 14, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
Further cements the reputation of the Dardennes as innovative and essential filmmakers.
September 13, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
A very weak film, without any interest. [Full Review in Spanish]
June 28, 2019
Alberto Abuín
Espinof
The ghastly straightforwardness of the proposition itself makes a thrilling start, but the complications that follow result in a film which rivals Deliverance in terms of mounting tension.
February 3, 2018
Olivia Glazebrook
The Spectator
Another terrific, ultra-realistic family drama fom the talented Dardenne brothers, winner of Cannes Film Fest top prize.
June 9, 2011 | Rating: A-
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
A masterpiece
August 30, 2009
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion…
Plot
Ben and Leslie Cash live largely off the grid with their offspring
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for L’Enfant.
Jean-Pierre-Dardenne.jpg
