Hi,

Iwasn't sure what Kid with a bike was about so found something on the web

"Kid With a Bike - A touching drama about a boy abandoned by his father and fostered by the local hairdresser, the Dardennes brothers' latest is a classic example of the Belgian film-makers skill in social realism, says Xan Brooks.

The Kid With A Bike won the grand jury prize at Cannes last year and stars Thomas Doret and Cécile De France.

The Dardenne brothers revive the memory of De Sica's 1948 classic Bicycle Thieves with their latest work – as well, of course, as the memory of their own previous films. Where De Sica's father and son wander all over town with their bicycle, which gets stolen, the Dardennes' son wanders all around looking for his dad, and for his bicycle, which gets stolen. And just as in De Sica's film, the situation is so chaotic it doesn't occur to anyone to lock the bike, or recommend locking it. This is a heartfelt, boldly direct film composed in the social-realist key signature of C major, revisiting the film-makers' classic themes of parenthood, trust and love. It gets a lot of storytelling accomplished in its brief running time, although the directors gloss over the realities of criminal assault. Newcomer Thomas Doret gives a very good performance as Cyril, a 10-year-old in care who is obsessed with the idea that his errant dad Guy (Jérémie Renier) is keeping his bike for him, and still wants to be with him. In fact, this irresponsible deadbeat just wants to be rid of the child. Obsessively, heartbreakingly, Cyril disregards all the evidence that his father doesn't love him. A kindly hairdresser called Samantha (Cécile de France) takes a miraculous shine to Cyril and agrees to take him for weekends, but the lack of a father figure means that Cyril falls for the insidious charm of a local drug-dealer."

I'd be torn between this one and the vampire one I think, given the choice.

Cheers

jon.

I haven't read about Dark Shadows but I will in a mo.

I've seen a few things lately and Kid With a Bike gets 9/10 from me, Le Havre 6.5/10 (although the people I saw it with were much more taken with it than I).

Saw a trailer for This Must be the Place and it looks a winner!