KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Sindre Kaspersen Belgian screenwriters, producers and directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's sixth feature film which they wrote and co-produced, premiered In competition at the 58th Cannes International Film Festival in 2005, was screened in the Masters section at the 30th Toronto International Film Festival in 2005, was shot on location in Seraing, Liège in Belgium and is a Belgium-France co-production which was produced by French producer Denis Freyd. It tells the story about a nineteen-year-old man named Bruno who makes a living as a criminal in a city in Belgium where he hangs out with adolescent boys and lives with his girlfriend named Sonia. After Sonia has given birth to their first child, they are evicted from the apartment they have been living in, and Bruno decides to get himself involved in more serious criminal activity to support his girlfriend and their new-born son named Jimmy.Distinctly and engagingly directed by Belgian filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, this finely tuned fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the male protagonist's point of view, draws a vital, gripping and prominently authentic portrayal of how a Belgian couple's relationship is altered after they become parents for the first time. While notable for it's distinct and naturalistic milieu depictions, sterling cinematography by Belgian cinematographer Alain Marcoen, production design by production designer Igor Gabriel, costume design by costume designer Monic Perelle and use of sound, colors and light, this character-driven and narrative-driven story about a man's unusual ways of coming to terms with becoming a father and how instantly and poignantly affected his life is by the arrival of his first son, depicts two isolating and merging studies of character. This down-to-earth, at times conversational and at times humorous drama from the mid-2000s which is set during the course of five days in a municipality of Liège in Belgium in the 21st century and where a newly mother is expecting her boyfriend to be the family provider and he figures that the best way to fix the situation they have gotten themselves into is by selling their infant, is impelled and reinforced by it's stringent narrative structure, substantial character development, rhythmic continuity, dense examination of its central themes and Bruno's internal changes, scenes between Bruno and Sonia and Bruno and Steve and the reverent acting performances by Belgian actor Jérémie Renier and French actress Déborah Francois. A consistently dramatic, charmingly romantic and increasingly heartrending narrative feature which gained, among other awards, the Palme d'Or at the 58th Cannes Film Festival in 2005.

sumantra roy In the beginning of the film, one feels that Sonia, an eighteen year old gentle mother is the main character of L'infant, and the film would revolve around her struggle of bringing up her kid as well as getting along with her criminal husband. But soon enough, Bruno, the father, takes the main stage. He runs a gang with two teenage boys. He steals and sells everything. He is also devoid of any human emotion. When Sonia returns from the hospital with the newborn child, she finds that Bruno has rented her apartment to another couple. Desperate Sonia seeks out Bruno and finds him in a traffic signal. It seems that when Sonia was in hospital giving birth to their child, Bruno never visited her. Bruno is no way emotionally attached with the child. Interestingly Sonia doesn't apparently have any problems with these. Sonia is also very much aware of what Bruno does for a living. She gets on with him all right, and the film depicts some wonderful love and fun sequences between the two.Few days later while waiting in a long queue, Sonia tells Bruno to take Jimmy (their kid) out for a stroll, Bruno accepts the offer and on his way decides to sell off the child. A decision that comes as a shock. He makes one or two phone calls and tells them that they have taken this decision jointly. He gets five thousand Euros in exchange, and returns with the empty perambulator. Bruno tells Sonia and shows her the money he has got in exchange. He also naively tells Sonia that they can have another kid, what's the big deal. Sonia faints and falls on the ground. Bruno didn't expect this. He never though about how Sonia would react, didn't think about the consequences. He takes Sonia in his laps and goes out to search for a cab that will take them to the hospital. Now, here happens an interesting thing, in the beginning I said that Bruno is devoid of any human emotion, yes that was true till this point, now it seems a bit different. If that was really the case then Bruno could have simply left Sonia there and escaped. I mean, that would not be surprising from him. He is someone who can simply sell off their nine day old kid without even bothering about kid's mother. When you really see him doing that, you kind of refuse to believe whatever that is going on. You find it stretched too far. What I mean is, one can then always stretch it a bit further. But the fact that Bruno can't leave Sonia there, proves that he has some attachment with her. Seeing Sonia like this he also decides to take the child back. Well, he had some human possibility still left with him. From here on the film is quite predictable. We now know the limits of Bruno's inhuman side, but his human possibilities are still unexplored. Bruno will understand his mistakes and will apologies (seems like his first apology in life), though it takes some time for him to do so, and in between another incident happens. But let's not go into that, Bruno will cry his heart out and Sonia will forgive him. And the film will end with this positive note, well done, great, whatever, anyways… I have two points to make, one, who is Sonia? I don't know where she comes from; don't know how she manages to fall in love with someone like Bruno. And even after everything she goes to meet Bruno in the jail and again, manages to forgive him. It seems very strange to me. Is it Christian charity? Is it the so called love and forgiving nature of womanhood? And second, the film ends on a positive note with Bruno realizing, that's fine. But isn't the final redemption a bit inconsistent, a bit forced? I have seen films where illegitimate actions are portrayed as cool and having no consequences, I have my share of problems with that thing too, but really we have been seeing criminals like Bruno's final redemption for ages in films, and probably it will continue for ages too, it's a bit weird for me, that's all.The film, L'infant uses a lot of hand held camera, which gives a marvelous result, it has natural sounds and no background music, making wise, it's definitely non-Hollywood and that is great. Both Bruno and Sonia were amazing in their performance. The film also uses long takes at certain moments remarkably well. Two instances come to mind right now, one when Bruno leaves the kid on the floor and waits outside for the money, the camera stays with him, and secondly when Bruno and Steve hide themselves from the cop. We don't get to see what is happening on the other side, and it really builds up the suspense. A similar treatment was also affectively used in No Country for Old Men among others, and it can be very moving if properly used.

rowmorg I can't understand why Cannes gave this film a Palme d'Or. It seemed to me false and imaginary, not realistic. I don't believe the directors ever lived in the environment they portray. Even a provincial city in Belgium will not be devoid of the scourge of drugs and illegal immigrants, I am certain. And yet The Infant depicts neither. It's not clear exactly how the female lead, Sonia (Déborah François), survives. She has no friends or relatives. Her thief boyfriend has let her flat (presumably without permission) while she was giving birth in hospital. Somehow she gets it back (not shown), and manages to eat without working. This, presumably, on welfare. She is blonde and buxom, but there is never a hint that the BF, Bruno (Jérémie Renier) might pimp her out. Bruno is amoral, but apparently knows nothing about drugs, either. Nor does he have anything to do with illegals. I'm sorry but for me this is entirely non-credible. L'Infant is a silly fairy story posing as gritty realism. BTW how many of the comments here contain undisclosed spoilers? Fifty per cent of them?

butchfilms This Belgium's film makes you think how there are people in this world who make things without realizing the consequences that will cause their actions that will hurt their loving ones. Infant, L' is about a young couple who just had a baby boy but they are so immature to raise him. The father is Bruno, he is a thief and he doesn't care much about the baby unlike Sonia who is the mother. Bruno lives only for the moment so he is always looking to get money to survive the day that's why he steals with some teens. But one day Bruno sells his baby and when he tells Sonia about it like the most normal thing showing her the money expecting that she will get happy, real problems will begin for Bruno....This movie doesn't have much dialog is more about physical expressions of/between the two leading characters and its pace is a little slow . So if you don't like this kind of movies maybe this is not for you, but I have to say I don't like most of this kind of films but I liked this one, so I advice you to take a chance and watch it because at the end if you didn't like it, at least it will have left you something to think a about.