Bruno, the 20-year-old antihero of L'Enfant, is 'œa lout, a jerk, a budding sociopath,' said Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly. He lives with his girlfriend, Sonia, in a Belgian steel town, scraping together a living as a petty thief. When Sonia returns from the hospital after giving birth to their son, she finds that he has sublet the flat to strangers. To say that this pair are 'œunequipped to be parents would be putting it gently.' Bruno, the real baby of the title, is particularly ill-prepared, said David Fear in Time Out New York. He goes so far as to impulsively sell his infant, Jimmy, on the black market. Sonia kicks the bum out, and he begins a journey that will earn him redemption 'œthe hard way.' It's thanks largely to Jérémie Renier's incredible performance that the audience slowly gains 'œcompassion for this pathetic paterfamilias.' Directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are also determined to show how 'œlittle room to maneuver there is for individuals marginalized by implacable social forces,' said Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times. It's tough to have normal feelings when living in dire poverty. As Bruno slowly learns the cost of having these essential emotions, the wonder is that 'œhe never loses our sympathy or our concern.'
Rating: R
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
8 incredible destinations to visit in 2026The Week Recommends Now is the time to explore Botswana, Mongolia and Sardinia
-
Wave of cancellations prompt Kennedy Center turmoilIN THE SPOTLIGHT Accusations and allegations fly as artists begin backing off their regularly scheduled appearances
-
The dark side of how kids are using AIUnder the Radar Chatbots have become places where children ‘talk about violence, explore romantic or sexual roleplay, and seek advice when no adult is watching’
