L'Enfant
User Score
8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32

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  1. Jared
    Apr 6, 2006
    10
    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
  2. paulh.
    May 9, 2006
    9
    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
  3. ScottB.
    Aug 28, 2006
    9
    A fantastic story of love, desperation and how explosive things can get when the two collide.
  4. Nadie
    Jan 15, 2007
    10
    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.
  5. JoshC
    Jan 4, 2007
    10
    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
  6. R.G.
    Feb 21, 2007
    9
    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
  7. TomC.
    Apr 14, 2006
    10
    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!

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 34 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    80
    The Dardennes' most accessible film. Their handheld camera catches tiny flickers of emotion that few filmmakers come near; you feel as if you're watching the movements of a soul.
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  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Ray Bennett
    50
    The film clearly wishes to explore the topic of children having children, but it only inspires a great desire to smack them both.
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  3. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Anthony Lane
    50
    There is something willed and implausible at the heart of L’Enfant, beginning with the child himself--the first non-crying, non-hungry infant in human history, let alone in cinema.
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