THE CHILD A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2006 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
If THE CHILD (L' ENFANT), the winner of Europe's most prestigious prize at this past year's Cannes Film Festival, really represents the best that Europe has to offer then that continent's film industry is in quite a sorry state. Not so much a bad film as a minimally interesting one, it is much more likely to elicit shrugs than applause from the audience.
Telling the story of two immature adults with a new baby, the title is intentionally ambiguous. Nominally it refers to the baby, but it applies more accurately to the father of the infant. Bruno (Jérémie Renier) is the biological father to Jimmy, a baby who has just recently been born. Although he isn't married to the single Sonia (Déborah François), the baby's mother, he hangs out with her when he's not involved in some petty theft. He ridicules those stupid enough to try to earn a living by working.
Completely irresponsible, Bruno blows his money on a one-day rental of an expensive convertible and on a fancy, new stroller. In a story in which not much happens, the script's one big idea is the selling of the baby. Bruno, reasoning that they could always have another child, decides to sell Jimmy without telling Sonia of his scheme, but he completely reverses course shortly thereafter and gets the baby back. Right.
Most of the movie consists of long sections in which the camera stares at the subjects while nothing happens. In long takes, the ever stoic Renier is shown holding the baby, as is the more emotive but not much more interesting François. Neither demonstrates much acting ability. The result is that the audience is left as cold as the dreary, overcast skies that appear in every frame of the film.
THE CHILD runs 1:40. The film is in French with English subtitles. It is rated R for "brief language" and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film is playing in limited release now in the United States. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Century theaters in April 2006.
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