The Kid with a Bike

An irascibly defiant young boy refuses to accept the fact that his father has abandoned and journeys across his village to find him and get answers, while his foster center counselors give chase. In the course of his search, he accosts an angelic hairdresser who helps him retrieve his missing bike and eventually takes charge of the lost boy. But this sudden change will not prove to be to easy as the boy's angry nature and the temptation provided by local hoodlums will test the resolve of his new foster mother. "The Kid with a Bike" is another observant and intimate film by the Dardenne brothers ("The Son") involving youth. Watching this seamless film, one cannot help but think of Francois Truffaut's "The 400 Blows", another masterpiece about another disaffected French youth. In the lead role, Thomas Duret does an excellent job purveying the emotions of a lost, wounded, and angry boy and Cecile de France is absolutely wonderful as the woman who takes him in. "The Kid with a Bike" isn't a fancy movie. It is stripped down, realistic filmmaking with believable characters told in a simplistic and keen manner.