L'Enfant (The Child)
Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: March 24, 2006
8.3
USER SCORE
Universal acclaim based on 94 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
80
Mixed:
9
Negative:
5
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
JaredApr 6, 2006
God what a movie! Realistically portrays the harsh life that young people living below the poverty. Along with that its a brilliant psychological study into the mind of a man who is rather more of a child than a man, which I think is the God what a movie! Realistically portrays the harsh life that young people living below the poverty. Along with that its a brilliant psychological study into the mind of a man who is rather more of a child than a man, which I think is the true meaning of the title. Rather than pass judgement it asks us to empathize and observe and while it is not something easy to watch it is something that I believe every socially concious individual must watch.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
RudyC.Apr 8, 2006
Quite boring, not an ounce of music (which makes it awful for me cause I think much of a movie from the music) and, did I not mention, quite boring !! But Jérémie Renier does a really good act!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
paulh.May 9, 2006
There is so much in this movie its hard to take it all in.Each shot/every scene is carefully compsed-nothing is there by accident & nothing goes to waste.At heart it is a parable comparable with Abbas Kiarostai's 'Taste Of There is so much in this movie its hard to take it all in.Each shot/every scene is carefully compsed-nothing is there by accident & nothing goes to waste.At heart it is a parable comparable with Abbas Kiarostai's 'Taste Of Cherries' with echoes of Crime&punishent and shadows of the directors previous movies.This is cinema as a high art-capturing life in its both its realism and symbolic physical mental and spiritual dimensions. Breath-taking/stimulating/captivating and teder-it is a reminder of what cinema can do-Warning this wont be to everyones taste (especially in America).… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
ScottB.Aug 28, 2006
A fantastic story of love, desperation and how explosive things can get when the two collide.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
SeamusM.Mar 27, 2006
A film that sticks in the mind. Slow-moving most of the time but with two great scenes towards the end. Not light entertainment. Gritty social reality.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
RobertI.Jun 18, 2006
The overwhelming impression I got from watching this movie was that someone made a great short film and needed to find any way possible to stretch it out to feature film length. This 95 minute movie should have been about 60 minutes long. It The overwhelming impression I got from watching this movie was that someone made a great short film and needed to find any way possible to stretch it out to feature film length. This 95 minute movie should have been about 60 minutes long. It would have been a great (or at least very good) 60 minute film. Some of the reviewers say they wanted to punish the boyfriend, but I couldn't help wanting to punish the director and editor for turning this potentially excellent film that could have been filled with great passion and capitivating tension into a relative snooze-fest. I mean, for god's sake, take the stick out of the water and DO SOMETHING! (those of you that have seen it will know what I mean)… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
GlennB.Jul 27, 2006
Superbly acted and directed.A breath of fresh-air amidst the usual multiplex dross. I consider myself fortunate to have seen it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
[Anonymous]Jul 8, 2006
Showing the underbelly of Belgium in all it's bleakness.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
NadieJan 15, 2007
This movie portrays innocence in the most dramatic way. The acting is flawless and represents young people without education as they are. Very moving and well told. For me, the best movie of the year.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
JoshCJan 4, 2007
This film goes deep into social crevices without entertainment blandishments (a mellifluous score, the huge acting, the faux-literary contortions). Yet still earns a chill of recognition. This movie is a tremendous kind of This film goes deep into social crevices without entertainment blandishments (a mellifluous score, the huge acting, the faux-literary contortions). Yet still earns a chill of recognition. This movie is a tremendous kind of me-against-the-world picture whose perceptions are life-sized and surprising in their humanness. In L'Enfant, the screenplay isn't making choices for these people; every one of Bruno's bad decisions springs from his poor, desperate judgment. Unlike the maid in Babel, he's a stupid person you can relate to. To that end, its realism is staggering.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
R.G.Feb 21, 2007
First of all the movie plays out more realistically than every movie that says it's a realistic portrayal. The theme is as old as time, but the way it's done is just a breath of fresh air in cinema. there are no judgements being First of all the movie plays out more realistically than every movie that says it's a realistic portrayal. The theme is as old as time, but the way it's done is just a breath of fresh air in cinema. there are no judgements being placed on any person in the movie, even though we disagree with every action Bruno takes. It's the simple way the camera observes the characters and the audio which has no music but just sounds, that makes this movie stand out. I found it a little frustrating in the beginning, but I started to think and it's a very reactionary movie. I wonder how the second viewing of the film would be; subtle things keep poping up in my head as time passes.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
TomC.Apr 14, 2006
This movie was a moving experience! Will stay wiith me for quite a while. No doubt who 'The Child' that the title refers to really is!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
JayS.Apr 23, 2006
There is a point in this movie where i badly wanted Sonia to punish her boyfriend for the horrific act he had just committed by whacking him in the head with a frying pan. It seemed the only possibe correct response to his behaviour. Now, There is a point in this movie where i badly wanted Sonia to punish her boyfriend for the horrific act he had just committed by whacking him in the head with a frying pan. It seemed the only possibe correct response to his behaviour. Now, after the movie has ended it still does, but the filmmakers managed to provide a glimmer of hope to this troubled couple. This movie has many things typical Hollywood fare needs a huge dose of: integrity, believability, consistency, hardcore drama, and oozing credibility.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
ChadS.Aug 27, 2006
Before the incident, these young Parisians act as if they'd be at home in a trailer park if they had the money for a RV. But then the husband does something unforgivable, and the emotional age of the mother is brought up to speed. What Before the incident, these young Parisians act as if they'd be at home in a trailer park if they had the money for a RV. But then the husband does something unforgivable, and the emotional age of the mother is brought up to speed. What was plural(in reference to the characters' demeanor), now becomes singular, and the dual meaning behind the film's title is unveiled. "L'Enfant" is a story about arrested development. Although the docu-drama approach to "Le Fils" is greatly missed(this film is shot more like "La Promesse"), the ambiguity remains, albeit later in the game. In "Le Fils", we're not sure about the carpenter's interest in the young boy, and in "L'Enfant", an act of contrition might indeed be an act of self-interest. "L'Enfant" is a very good film, but it's not the equivalent of "Le Fils" and "Rosetta".… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
EpicLadySpongeMay 4, 2016
By far, I don't know what to expect in L'Enfant anymore. Makes me want to release my tears and you know I'm a strong one (which means it's very difficult for a movie to make me cry (that'll probably change later on in life)).
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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