The Kid With a Bike was truly a brilliant film. I thought the meaning behind it was heartwarming, as it must have connected with anyone who’s gone through difficulty in his or her life. I’m not sure if I agree with how the film ended, as I’m skeptical if it was necessary for Cyril to run into the boy and his father who he had beaten and robbed. Nonetheless, the morals behind the film were dead on. It was apparent that his father genuinely didn’t want to give up on Cyril, but did so because he felt he would have a better life in the hands of someone else, in this case Samantha. I liked how the film went full circle, as Cyril had left his father and then met the “dealer” with whom he would work for in exchange to attempt to get his father back by giving him the money he had stolen. It was touching, on the other hand, to see Cyril and Samantha’s relationship grow to success after some of the difficulties they went through together. It appears that Cyril is now on a path for success as he seems to have moved passed his troubled time of trying to get his father back and impressing the older boys, as he seems to have matured a lot from his experiences. He now has a loving relationship with Samantha and it looks clear that he will be friends with a nice boy in Mourad.
The Kid With A Bike was one of the best foreign films I had seen in a while. I was happy that the trailer didn’t give away too much of the film although it was very apparent from watching it that his father dejected and abandoned him in some way which kind of gave some main things away. I think that not watching the trailer before going into the movie would have brought on more surprises. The story in itself was pretty heartbreaking as the young boy, Cyril, battles to believe that his own father would not have abandoned him or even sold his own bike. However, once he realizes that his father does in fact refuse to keep him under his wing and that he did sell his bike because of money issues, this seriously affects his emotional state of mind and puts him on the endless search for love. The loss of a father figure at the age of eleven can be detrimental to the well being of a child and we see Cyril’s emotions progress more intensely from the beginning of the film to the end. His hanging out with “The Dealer” almost becomes a direct result of his fathers rejection. However, although this film focuses mostly on the young boy, I think the role of adults play an equally important role. For one, Samantha seemed to be the mother figure while having this awareness about her where she came off as one of the strongest characters. I felt that Cyril’s father was a bit harsh in telling him to never come back. However, after Cyril runs from the revengeful stone throwing son of the newsstand owner after mugging them, we find out that Cyril’s real father happened to be the most honest father as the newsstand owner comes up with a lie to tell the police when Cyril falls from the tree. I found it interesting that the men that Cyril mugged was a father and son. It kind of showed the strike and hardships that Cyril and his father were both facing. The color choice in the film really stuck out to me as the boy was always seen wearing a red shirt which is symbolic of his strong emotional feelings. Overall I liked everything about the film but the only thing that bothered me was the fact the boy never once locked his bike even after it continued to get stolen.
Kid with a Bike is sad at first, but it has a happy ending so I found it very rewarding. The movie is very realistic, similar to TomBoy, with music only playing when the character turns it on, except for the really dramatic parts, like when Cyril is told the truth by his father. There are also no markings for the passage of time (such as “two months later”, etc.) which would be quite handy at times throughout the story, just for clarification. One thing I really admired was Samantha’s unconditional love for Cyril; to the extent of giving up her boyfriend in preference of Cyril, is a monumental decision, I don’t know too many people who would do that for a kid who isn’t their blood. I really respect Samantha for her decision, her personality really made me love her character. I really like the moral of the story. It’s essentially a play on the golden rule—do unto others as you would have done onto you. Cyril is jumped by the son of the “newsagent” whom he jumps a few scenes earlier. I’ve known a few characters like Wes—Weskar—and I understand how Cyril is tempted by him, although every part of me was holding back from yelling, “Nooo!!! Runn!!!”, throughout those couple scenes. There were a lot of medium close-up shots and American shots throughout the film which I liked for the most part. I’m not exactly a huge fan of the Italian shot when it comes to dialogue scenes; I like to be able to see most of the character, take in what he/she is wearing, his/her body language, etc. I really disliked Guy Catoul. The actor was great, but the character, ugh! I’m sure I’m not the only person who wanted so slap him for how he treated his son. Seriously, how could the guy not even be man enough to tell his own son, he doesn’t want to see him again, why lead the poor boy on? Cyril at least deserves the truth. It’s very rewarding to see him with Samantha, it’s a relationship, similar to Matilda and Miss Honey, in the film Matilda.
I thoroughly enjoyed how the film Attenberg tells the story of Marina, a 23 and beautiful, but extremely awkward and reserved women. I found it very interesting how Marina’s cold, and distant demeanor reflects the area that surrounds her. There are identical, dull white houses spread over the tainted rocky Mediterranean soil that reminded me of the bits and pieces of the old Greek architecture that had remained recognized for centuries. I also found in interesting, yet sad how Marina’s cancer-stricken father, Spyros, and her best friend Bella are the only two people she has interacted with at the film’s start. This is obviously the template for the movie as this one fact sets the stage for her immaturity and lack of experience. It was also sad that Spyros and Bella indulge and accept her twisted view of the world as a necessary coping mechanism. I found it ironic how the film opens with Bella showing Marina how to kiss, as this is clearly the opposite of what should have been happening. Marina’s child-like attitude sets the stage for some awkward laughs, which are the only kind this movie has, but it is also shown as a crippling personality disorder in the film. I found it intriguing how Marina latches on to a series of random obsessions that further contribute to her isolation and loneliness and how one of these - the films of British naturist Sir David Attenborough – lead to Bella’s mispronunciation of his name, which is where the film gets its title.
The short Broad Beans, which played before Attenberg, was weird to say the least. I liked it for the most part. I think the moral of the story is to never eat broad beans, (haha) or at least it reinforces the typical saying that appears around Halloween, don’t eat something if you’re not sure where it came from or it could’ve been tampered with. I thought the film looked somewhat grainy and old, as if it had been shot in the early 80s because of the color. It gave me a different impact than if it would’ve been filmed like movies are filmed today. Attenberg was a strange movie. The opening scene, the awkward kissing, I only have two words for: HOLY HELL!! It was almost like watching a bird regurgitating for its babies. Granted I know most first kisses aren’t exactly smooth, but whoah. The reaction from the audience for that scene was hilarious. Then when they start playing “tigers” or cats, I think the title “Attenberg, the new Greek weird wave” fits very accurately. I can’t believe Marina talked to her dad about imagining him “naked, but with no penis.” The movie tackled quite a few awkward obstacles that I don’t think people think about on a daily basis. People just take those moments with a grain of salt and try to get on through life yet Marina constantly brings up these moments throughout the film. There are a couple scenes of Marina and Bella doing some kind of choreographed walk/dance thing. I’m not sure as to the meaning of it, but I would be willing to guess it had something to do with David Attenborough’s documentary on flamingos or something like that. Strange scenes aside, this film is also atypical in that the audience doesn’t even learn the main character’s name until about forty-five minutes into the film. I think it goes to show, physical things (actions) are more important than mental things (names, dates).
The Kid With A Bike: I like this movie, because it is expressing the reality without accompanying with any big starts and decoration. It is a bike, a boy Cyril and a very kind hairdresser Samantha. Cyril is a very poor boy who is discarded by his Dad. He then lives with Samantha on the weekend. Cyril knows his father has trouble and cannot afford to live with him, so when he gets the stolen money, he gives the money to his father, tries to help his father out and lives with him. But he gets disappointed again. Every time when there is a little climax happen, the background music will play to add extra sadness to the movie. It is very interesting that Cyril is always wearing a red coat or red T-shirt, maybe the director just wants us to focus on Cyril, his behavior and his expression as well. There is only one time he wears a blue shirt with jean coat at the scene of police station. At that time, he is no longer a rude and willful kid. He shows his respect and regret just like he changes his color of clothes. The movie does a real good job at using many gesture languages to express the deep feeling of the kid and Samantha. For instance, the way Cyril rides his bike, every time he rides it differently, and how Samantha hugs Cyril and catches him. Every gesture express different meaning and feeling. The story is actually very simple, but the manner of the movie shoots gives us a deep thought about kinship, the selfish parents might create a lot of problems and misery to their kids and also the society.
Being the genius predictor of all things movie and tv shows that I am (not to toot my own horn or anything of course, cause that would just be rude), it is very hard for me not to be bored with most of the entertainment content available out there these days, even if they be movie or tv series that I love. It is not necessarily that I want something to shock me, it is just very rare that something actually be GOOD - which, apparently, is a lot to ask for these days. So going into The Kid with the Bike, I was hesitant - a kid gets abandoned by his father and goes down the wrong path as a result of it - I mean really, could you be more cliche than that? Not to mention, I don't know about you, but I can't think of too many people who would take in a kid that wasn't theirs or wasn't left to them in a will or whatever (and even then...). Now, I realize based on the trailer alone, one (depending on the film) can't know the intricacies or the specific circumstances of the whole story that could potentially play out on screen, but what I'm getting at is the idea discussed in class about the material released before affecting one's perceptions of a film before actually seeing it. Having said that, the film wasn't bad - not at all - I guess it's just a matter of adjusting your filters if you will to the content at hand, and not basing all of your opinions on stacking what you're seeing against favorites of the past and what you hold to be your personal preferences or usual choices. For example, trying to keep judgements and attitudes in check BEFORE entering the movie theatre. After all, it is nice to have little films such as these sneak up and surprise you every once in a while in a new and refreshing way.
I rarely find myself leaving the movies with an infectious smile on my face. Even if I love the movie I just saw, the feeling of euphoria usually dies down after a few brief moments. With The Kid with a Bike, however, I stayed smiling for the rest of the day. The movie follows Cyril, a young boy who has been abandoned by his father. All he has to rely on is his bike and Samantha, the woman who takes him in. At first, it seems like a stereotypical coming-of-age story, but the film breathes new life into the genre by taking some unexpected twists. Although the plot was simple, I found it very engaging. Very little happens across the course of the film, but I still found myself drawn into the story and the characters. The simple, charming story of a young boy left me with a smile for the rest of the day.
In my opinion, a good foreign film is one such that can be enjoyed by an international audience who could very well lack knowledge of the culture of the movies origin. The Kid With a Bike is a great example of this. The french film holds true to a story that could be understood anywhere around the world, and achieve the same reactions and feelings from any type of viewer. Though the conflict and individual character's perceptions were complex and powerful, they weren't hard to understand or connect to. I'm not a mother myself, but I find the character of Samantha to be the most relatable. I think all parents understand the conflict of building a relationship with your child and the difficulties that arise when you're trying to do what's best for them. The full circle the movie makes and the happy ending are also something that I think add to its success. It started out very sad, and people want to get a sense of hope from movies, with a story like this it alluded to the movie's everlastingness.
The Kid with a Bike The story of The Kid with a Bike is very simple. Cyril is very rebellious as soon as he appears on the scene. So to speak, instead of being civilized, he is paranoid, and stubbornly confronts against things all around him. Many audiences don't like this little hero. He is not lovely at all, but self-righteousness, has the attitude of self-mutilation and violence. He does not understand the adults’ minds totally. However, the movie cuts the scene of the antecedent of characters. If we recall the fact that he is abandoned by his father, but he tries his best to find his father, protect himself in this way, are forced to choose extreme of early maturity, then these acts will be understood. The movie clearly shows the cowardice of Cyril’s father. He is coward, cold, and afraid of bearing the responsibility. Obviously, Cyril is a small child, but he shows the conscious of confrontation against terror, clings to do things capriciously. Bike seems to be a marked sign of characters in lower class in the works of directors of Dardenne brothers. After Cyril loses his father, bike has become the only object of maintaining his miss. Cyril enjoys the happiness of being together with his bike, while audiences have to be nervous and afraid of its being stolen all the time. However, The Kid with a Bike fails to explain the benevolence of Samantha. Especially when her boyfriend asks her whether she wants him or Cyril, she chooses Cyril decisively. Maybe, only loneliness shall explain all. A lonely heart needs another one, and they close to each other. When Cyril holds Samantha desperately, when Cyril returns painfully and disappointedly from his father, when they two travel by the bike and bathe into the sunshine…Samantha finds that she is able to accompany Cyril. As for whether it is the pity idea, or protection desire or other complex emotions, the movie fails to give explanations and only leaves a huge blank. A common movie may set and adds in this way, such as Samantha also has the frustrated past, growth of shadow, which shall use a group of shots to show her desolation and loneliness. Doesn’t her emotion toward Cyril turn too clear in this way? Holding by hands and shooting are adopted in the shots. The Kid with a Bike uses four sections of music. Each one reminds the audiences that: this is a disturbance of emotion, that is to say, the sensation point. This kind of sensation reaches the extremity at the end, an unforgettable end. In the doubt of tragedy, Cyril is awakened by the mobile phone, which is the delicate touch of the movie. It is the common thing of common people that is able to generate unusual emotion power, which makes you realize that there are something ignored by many people in your life, your surroundings. Those poor and hateful things always fill your mind with a myriad of thoughts and ideas, which lets you find the warm and cruelness of life.
Attenberg ---Werid wave of greek cinema. After having watched this movie, it makes people cannot help thinking of that natural documentary of planets have been played in this movie repeatedly. The full—length shot at the beginning of the film which is about the tongue training kiss with the girlfriend of the sworn followers and then changing to the cat bends down to roar makes me impressive. I think what Attenberg stresses is two major tasks of sex and death that the life shall experience. The different inter-cut scenes in the film including Marina’s view of things and the world which is influenced by his father’s education since childhood, she is not good at contacting with others, she knows nothing about sex and helps his father who has got cancer to handle with the things happening afterward. All these are the awkwardness, hesitation and helplessness of Marina when facing to sex, death and the objects around her. In the whole film, I have found no key point or buoyant feeling, but I can deeply feel that the heroine who is born in a single-parent family has the idea of integrating into the society while she hates human beings at her bottom of heart. Every time the performance that Marina and her good sisters imitate the behaviors of various animals makes me feel that maybe they are happier and more pleasing in the world of animals When thinking back on the scenes that the heroin makes love with other the man she likes bluntly, I think it is completely caused by the failure of education. Because the heroine has no feeling about it and can not respond to the hero in correct way. Naturally, the language only has the function of describing each kind of organ and methods while has no meaning of communication or expression. All anti-ape phenomenon and Marina knowing nothing about death can reflect the problem of her father’s educational system In the lecture after the film has been played, two professors say that Greek economic crisis in recent years have affected the film industry a lot including that their budget of filmmaking is only about 30000 Euros and only the directors help each other and subsidize the budget can they accomplish the production of a small film.
I honestly think this is the weirdest movie I have ever seen in my whole life. It was filled with very strange and awkward scenes. I also felt the film had some sort of empty scenes in which, really, nothing happened, nothing. What shocks me the most is that it was weird and rare and bizarre and all, but I was actually quite entertained. It had some funny parts as a matter of fact. Nonetheless, there were some scenes I did not really like, like when Marina and her best friend walk holding their hands and marching, dancing, whatever. I have no idea what that was all about, and it was a scene that was repeated (with new dances, coordinations) all throughout the film. I found it funny when Marina kept talking and talking when trying to have sex with Spyros. He couldn’t handle it anymore and just told her to shut up. I also found a little disgusting to just throw Marina’s father ashes into the sea; I thought they were going to be simply sunk in the water inside the urn. To me it was very repelling so to speak, or simply horrific, that Marina asked her best friend to go and please her father. But again, the whole film was absolutely bizarre, so I guess I was not really surprised about that. Usually I do not like to be reading subtitles and hence listening to foreign language movies, but this one did not bother me. It really caught my attention, which I find very unusual given how strange this film was.
I understand that Attenberg was a different kind of film that I am not used to seeing but I was unable to overlook it. At the beginning I was completely thrown off by the kissing scene of the two friends and after hearing the daughter tell her dad she has thought of him naked, it was hard for me to enjoy the rest. The whole movie is about the father slowly dying and his daughter exploring sexually. The main character is completely awkward and the guy she started hanging with was random. All of a sudden she just starts kissing the guy who she drives but we barely learn anything about him. I noticed a reoccurring theme of animals in this film. The dad and daughter were constantly making animal noises and prancing around like monkeys. I also noticed anytime the daughter was taking care of the father, they were watching on tv animals in their natural habitat. I was trying to figure out a correlation between the animals and the daughter's animal like behavior when exploring sexually. I found it uncomfortable when the main character asks her best friend to sleep with her dad before he dies. Something I did not understand was the continuos random scenes of the two girls walking side by side strutting in matching dresses and boots. Overall, I was confused by this film but it definitely was interesting.
Even though it sounds corny, I found this film touching. I felt for the little boy Cyril this whole movie. I could not imagine how a father could just leave his kid and never want to see him again. Cyril's only connection to his father is the bike that his father had given him in the past. I loved the character Samantha, even though Cyril gave her trouble by always running away and never listening, she stood by his side and still cared for him. Cyril was young yet he had to deal with so much. He was constantly facing obstacles whether it was another boy stealing his bike, his father not caring to see him, or another boy trying to get Cyril involved with stealing, Cyril stayed stubborn. Cyril stayed strong throughout but his weakness would shine through for his father. It was so hard for me to watch Cyril constantly trying to have his father contact him. He even steals money in order to help out his father. Samantha becomes a mother figure, always being there for him even when he lashes out at her. I noticed how throughout the film, there was never any music except the same music would play whenever Cyril had a breakdown. I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend it. The film can be upsetting at times because you feel for Cyril but you leave the film in a good mood knowing that he ends up having Samantha there for him.
“The Kid with a Bike” was a film that I enjoyed stylistically, but the plot was a little bit too simplistic for me. I liked the way the Dardene brothers really captured the emotions of the young boy, Cyril. Cyril has this naïve idea that his father is somehow going to come back and acts accordingly. Cyril’s naivety is exemplified when believes that stealing money from others is the way that he can get his dad to come back. I liked the emotions that the film evoked in the viewer, but I thought they were a little bit simple. I enjoyed the character of Samantha and how she blindly cares for Cyril, but I didn’t like how quickly her and Cyril’s relationship accelerates. I felt the same way about how quickly Cyril was willing to make friends with the bad kid. These parts of the plot were underdeveloped in my opinion and thus didn’t give as good of an affect as I would have expected. While I did find certain parts of the film underdeveloped, I did enjoy the emotions that the film evoked. The blind love that Samantha exhibits toward Cyril is something that is admirable and the viewer can look up to. Another part of the film I enjoyed was the way the film was filmed. The choice by the Dardene brothers to shoot the majority of the film in close up was something that I enjoyed. The close up shots allowed the viewer to easily see the emotions of the characters and thus relate to those characters.
For me, “The Kid With A Bike” fell short of being a dramatic or emotionally poignant film. The plot was boring and almost laughable at parts, and quite frankly I did not find Cyril to be an endearing character. Sure, we feel bad for him because his father has abandoned him (all though all he did was move a few blocks away in the same city), but let’s face it: Cyril is a brat. His antics were far from adorable or sympathetic in my opinion; they were downright annoying. Things picked up a bit for me after he is “adopted” by the hair dresser (but only for weekends? France must have a strange foster system). However, once he takes up with the “dealer”, a skinny French kid who looks about as dangerous as a field of daisies, things went downhill. I couldn’t take him as a serious threat to Cyril. I mean, what kind of gang banger rubs dirt out of a kid’s eye for him, helps his grandmother off the floor, and then plays PS3 with his newest recruit? Real dangerous stuff right there. When he gets Cyril to mug the local newspaper agent, I almost laughed out loud. A ten or eleven year old knocking out a full grown man with a light tap of a baseball bat? I don’t think so. The plot of this film was silly from start to finish, and lacked any real substance or emotional power for me. “Attenberg”, on the other hand, I actually enjoyed. If you took out the strange animal scenes between Bella and Marina, it would actually be a great film. The power in “Attenberg” does not lie in the obvious theme at the surface, of dealing with sexuality and sexual identity. Making a foreign film about sexual identity is about as original as making an action film where Jason Statham punches everyone in the throat. Interesting to watch, but it’s been done before. Where its true success lies is its subtle, underlying themes of postindustrial disillusionment and modernism in Greece. I was incredibly surprised at how Marina and her relationship with her dying father went beyond the usual dialogues of life and death, but transcended to their differing views of Greece’s postmodern development. I found it to be a powerful allegory considering Greece’s current economic status in the world. The way the film is shot also reminded me of the recent George Clooney movie “The Descendants”. While certainly different in many ways, both films deal with death and loss of a loved one and are filmed in locations typically viewed as vacation paradises: Greece in “Attenberg” and Hawaii in “The Descendants”. Despite the stereotypical look of these locations, both are filmed in manner that borders on depressing and gray, with the settings functioning much more in the background of the plot than as characters themselves. Overall, “Attenberg” utilized a unique editing of sequences and powerful, though limited, scenes of dialogue to convey its themes of death and identity.
The Kid with a Bike is a drama film about a troubled boy rehabilitated by the kindness of a stranger. In “The Kid with a Bike” narrative comes first. Although the cinematography, costumes and setting are well-done they never distract from the story. Fortunately in “The Kid with a Bike” the story is more than enough to carry the film. Although we know instinctively that Cyril will be “saved” by Samantha there is enough realism in between introduction and salvation to keep the plot interesting. Although I would categorize this as a happy ending film, it is a happy ending film one does not have to feel guilty for enjoying. It also helps that the characters of Cyril and Samantha are superbly acted. The character of Samantha could have easily descended into a one-dimensional Mother Teresa caricature yet never does. She is kind but still believable. The relationship between her and Cyril is also very believable. Their interactions drive the story. It is a testament to how believable and captivating their relationship was that I forget the film was in French and that I was reading subtitles. In the end, film-making is really about telling a story. “The Kid with a Bike” returns to these roots.
The Kid with a Bike This is kind of an emotional film. But I have to say, I really enjoyed it. When I first read what this was about I thought that it was kind of simple story: boy it’s sad, boy tries to reunite with father, father is a mess, boy meets “savior”, boy and “savior” get along, conflict, climax, everything is fine again (not that simple after all, now that is written on paper). The movie surprised me, even though the outline of the plot is basically what I just described, the movie is so emotionally engaging that it’s hard to not get attached to Cyril. Stylistically the film is amazing. Performance based, the boy is outstanding. Overall I really enjoyed the movie. I really like how the movie ends; they capture the perfect emotion in the audience (or at least in me). For what felt like long seconds I thought Cyril was dead. I was upset and I was thinking “ finally a chance for him and Samantha to start as a family, family a ray of hope for the boy, but his past mistakes had taken his life”, honestly when he started walking I was surprised. But the way they handled that moment and that bittersweet emotion, for me, was the best part of the movie.
Attenberg And from “emotionally engaging”, to “what the hell am I watching?...”. I consider myself to be a very open minded type of audience, but Attenberg cross the line. I try my best to stay focus and be at the very least a little entertained. While the story had everything to be an interesting kind of quirky story, I did not enjoy the film. The best word to describe it is weird. Don’t get me wrong, I am not one that gets scared with weird bizarre things, but this just didn’t make it for me. So anyways, let’s concentrate on the few things I did like about the film: Stylistically I like the fact that the colors of the whole film are very uniform, I don’t how to explain it better than, everything felt grey based like kind of cloudy. I liked this because the most important character in the film Marina is that way too. Marina’s best friend Bella is the one who took Marina’s curiosities to life. Even though I consider the “animal dances” the strangest elements of the film, now that I think about it were crucial to the film. What they were trying to explain is that as different as Marina and Bella might seem or as different as we are all from each other, we are just one experience away to be the same.
I saw Attenburg a few days ago and found it to be extremely strange and confusing on multiple levels. I found the opening scene with the kiss of Marina and her best friend as well as the repeated scenes depicting them marching around to be very strange and made me question the sanity of the director. While I do realize that this film is supposed to be unique and really make the viewer think about cinema in a whole new way, I believe that the director overdid it this time. On one hand it is important to be bold and take some risks in filmmaking, but on the other hand the film has to conform to enough genre rules to appeal to the audience at large. Even though there are surely some people that enjoy going to these types of films, I would suspect that this type of film drives most people away. The bizarre scene where Marina asks her best friend to go “please her father” to be way too disturbing for my taste. I really do try to see the positive side of every film, but this one was too far out there for my taste.
The Kid with the Bike was a film that I was not impressed with. I have seen the film "Here After" with the same French actress and felt with her popularity over seas and her character in the movie was a miss for the movie. It was almost not realistic to me. When the boy runs into the actress in the hospital room, it is hard to not foreshadow that the two will meet again. I was brought in and out of the film because of this. On the other hand I enjoyed very much so "Attenberg".The film offered me a positive reception for my upbringing as well as the appreciation for life. It was a success for me on many levels from an intriguing story line, relatable “growing of age” characters and an amusing comedy with a dark edge. In many ways it reminded me of the recent Academy Award nominee The Descendants and the characters forced to deal with death. There is a scene in the end of Attenberg where Marina follow-throughs with her father’s demands, sprinkling his ashes into the sea, there is the same scene in The Decendants. In both films this moment signifies this mew beginning. For Marina she is now a woman and knows who she is; both her sexual and intellectual self. Seeing a total of six films at the Cosford, Attenberg is by far my favorite. The film takes the audience into a vulnerable character’s life and leaves with a well rounded sense to the character’s identity and self worth.
Although I didn’t not enjoy the movie Attenberg as I thought I would I felt that many scenes were quite amusing and the movie had a little dark edge to it although it was still very humorous. The scenes is this movie was the most bizarre and weirdest I have ever seen such as The first scene with the two girls trying to kiss each other It was almost animal like. There was also a lot of animals mention in the movie that was sort of weird. Something that also stood out to me was Marina telling her to please her father, that is something that I just could not quite understand and really made me question their relationship and their sexuality. I was really lost in the dark through out the movie but the little things how the girls sexual identity was displayed kept me quite interested and not totally given up on the movie. Some things that I didn’t not like were how the movie was just a little too much and could be a little over the top at times. Another thing would be why don’t we learn about the guy that marina kisses, we honestly don’t get much information about him. There was also many random scenes with the two girl walking hand and hand with those funny rain boots. Even though this movie was not my favorite was very confusing but it was most definitely interesting. Jokira Jiles- C10564851
The Dardenne brothers have done a great job with "The Kid with the Bike." This movie could have gone two ways, one being overly sappy with the usual endings, that the boy (Cyril) returns to his father and all is well. Although the film did have a happy ending, it played out a different way, with the boy finding a home with the town hairdresser. The acting of both the young boy and the hairdresser was always well thought out. The boy really pulled at your heart strings, as you saw how his character was trying very hard to keep it together, but had moments where he just had to be a young child and explode. The story was very touching and I had a hard time trying to imagine that this father would not do everything in his power to keep his son, who so obviously adored him. The filming was excellent with many close up shots, so you could really see the pain and joy in the face of the actors. I always love shots on location in France, it's almost as though you need no other backdrop.
I thought “Attenberg” was a very interesting movie. It seemed to me that Marina was trying to understand human interactions the same way her hero, Sir David Attenborough, tried to understand animal behaviors. I really liked this motif throughout the movie of people just being animals; the way Marina play-acts various animals with Bella and her father seems to emphasize this lack of division in her mind between people and animals. She simply does not understand how either of them interacts, and, while she has Sir David Attenborough’s documentaries to understand animals, she has to be her own “Attenberg” and investigate humans herself. The film also brought up an interesting problem in Spyros’ regret about the world he is giving his daughter. His speech about how they tried to turn Greece into an industrial country without understanding what they were doing and how Marina’s generation has inherited the consequences without any preparation for solving them was very insightful and brought up an important question about the modern world, what it was, and where it goes.
My biggest problem with the movie, however, was that it seemed to end abruptly. I felt like Marina’s story was not done yet when it ended; sure, her father was dead and she spread his ashes, but we were never shown any evidence that she has really grown or understands everything. For instance, the audience does not necessarily need to know where her relationship with the man from out of town goes, but we do need to know how she now thinks of that relationship in order to know if she has actually grown during the film. However, perhaps this was the filmmaker’s intention: to leave Marina’s future up in the air while showing the industrial site to emphasize the uncertainty of Greece’s future.
The kid with a bike is a drama about Cyril, 12-year-old boy living Belgium who is abandoned by his father and has lost his bike. Cyril escapes the foster home to go find his father but he acknowledges that he has really abandoned him and so Cyril goes to a doctor’s office nearby where he meets a woman called Samantha. This woman buys Cyril a bike and he goes to live with her certain days. With her help, Cyril tracks down his father but his father does not want Cyril. He is so broken hearted and gets involved with a dealer who makes him steal. This movie is full of feeling and is empathetic, but its plot is also pretty simple to understand and not much happens during the middle of the movie. You get to see and experience the suffering and deception felt by a little boy who is rejected by his father. We can see how the bike he so frenetically wanted to find meant for him the last hope of ever being with his father, a little piece of their relationship. It is inspiring and I also found it really kind and heartwarming of the hairdresser to open her heart and her home to this little unknown kid. Samantha gives up so many different things for this boy, starting of her time, her lover, her space. What I also found interesting is the fact that Samantha is no saint herself. She also needs someone to love her and care for her and I guess this is one of the reasons she opens her heart to him. Nevertheless, I never really understood the real reasons behind this decision. Maybe she lost a child or her parents did not want her when she was a small child, but this is something that we will never know because it is left ambiguous to the audience. This movie is very realistic and so I feel that parents need to think twice before having a children and then abandoning them because they are humans with feelings and experimenting a bad childhood may lead to a bad adulthood were they could become criminals. But overall I liked the movie. I also found really sweet and amazing how a boy so young can be such a good actor as shown in this movie.
Throughout the many different experiences that are offered through the Cosford Theatre, on of the most interesting movies that I have seen, is called “The Kid with a Bike”. If I had to describe this movie to someone, I would have to say that it is like being on an emotional roller coaster that completely falls off the rails but at the last second, reattaches itself. At least, that is how I felt. One of the most interesting scenes for me was when Cyril was struck with the rock. As strange as it may sound, seeing Cyril motionless on the ground brought me to a state of panic (to a point). It was beyond strange seeing how Cyril was always running or riding his bike, always in motion, then to see his body just laying there, it was by far one of the greatest individual scenes that I have seen recently. The directors, Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, truly did a magnificent job of setting up that scene, as well as the struggle between Cyril and Samantha. At first, the two connected by chance at a doctors’ office but that chance encounter, blossomed into a life changing relationship for Cyril. He finally saw that even after he screwed up, someone was still there for him; someone, Samantha cares for him, even if he messes up. It was very interesting to see Cyril realize that he doesn’t have to run or fight the people who care, he just has to let them love and care for him. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this movie to anyone who wants a heartfelt emotion-twisting movie.
Throughout this semesters’ Survey of Motion Pictures class, out of all of the films that we have watched, the one so far that has interested me the most has been “Attenberg”. This movie was both jaw dropping and thought provoking. Personally, it wasn’t like any movie I have seen. While it is funny at times, the overall sense of the movie, at least in my eyes, is dramatic. The main character, Marina, is an extremely awkward young woman who lacks the knowledge that is required to merge with the rest of society. This is a sad truth at times but with this, comes the willingness to learn and explore what makes people meld together, not just in a social term but in a sexual nature as well. Personally, knowing that this was a film that was staged in Greece, it was almost confusing to see how the cultural attitude of the film, differentiated from the cultural attitude that the people of Greece are accustomed to. The main character, Marina, has a very interesting name in the sense that in a ‘Marina’ there are many different types of people, animals, boats and exotic life, a collage of learning all put right in front of you when you think of a marina. Marina is very much like the inanimate form of the word marina in the sense that she is learning and experiencing everything that is new around her, this is what makes the movie worth while for me; we see her grow and evolve. Overall, this movie, as quirky as it was, was worth seeing and I would definitely recommend it.
'Attenberg' portrays the mindset of a girl who seems to have social problems. This girl seems to have a very dethatched form of viewing the world. Her manner of interacting with people resembles that of a scientist making observations of the world around him. For example, at one point in the movie, she asks her father if he ever imagines her naked. Her father immediately insists that he has not, and suggests that fathers "repress" that sort of thing". At this point the movie delves into the psyche of the human form, demonstrating the unnatural aspect that social conventions my assume, and hinting at an underlying animalistic nature which resides in the confines of our brains. This same animalistic nature is manifest quite clearly in the way in which the main character will make pretend she is a beast. At one point she does this with her best friend and at another point she repeats this same action with her father. It is apparent in the sound's variation and intensity that the director chose to have these scenes exemplify the natural ferocity and wild passion that drives humans in their actions. But as we is evident in the remainder of the movie, we are often forced by society to repress these roles.
Attenberg met my expectations of being an "interesting" movie. The main character, Marina, was such a strange girl. I understand that everyone is unique, but I could not wrap my mind around how or why she did not know how to interact with other people. Was it because she was kept away from people her whole life? It seemed like she could not relate to anyone but her best friend, her father, and animals. When Marina wasn't exploring her sexuality with Bella and that random guy, she was with her dad. I was shocked that he was okay with her being so weird. She actually told him that she pictured him naked. That was disturbing.
I liked the dance scenes with Bella and Marina. It was random, but amusing. I could not get over the end of the movie when Marina asked Bella to have sex with her dying father. I was blown away! The fact that Bella actually did it was even more disturbing. The thought of someone actually doing anything sexual to a dying person is just plain wrong. I felt bad for Marina because her dad was the only person that she had. I can't imagine how she would function without him. She still had Bella, but having only one friend and no parents or anyone else who understood her would have been tough. Marina was still trying to figure how to interact with people and her father died too soon. He left her to deal with all of those things on her own. Overall, the movie was unique. I'm not sure if I would recommend others to see it.
This was one strange movie. The opening is quite strange with the "kissing" scene between Marina and her friend. Maybe it is because this is a part of the new age weird greek cinema hitting the scene, but I must say I am not a fan. I have perhaps been too spoiled by traditional american blockbusters. Something that I was not a fan of was that the movie was relatively quiet, with not much talking in my opinion. Even when speaking, not much was accomplished each time. Everything in the movie was too plain for me. The mis-en-scene and colors used in the film do not portray Greece as a very hospitable place, even though this takes place in an industrial area.
An example of how awkward and silent the movie can be is when Marina is getting with some guy in a room. She decides to disrobe immediately as if she was a prostitute that was hired. She just stands there awkwardly waiting for her guy friend to do something. This is strange because the guy just sits there and is clearly surprised, but does not show it which is too weird for me. He then puts her clothes on. This entire time, nothing is said. Not a single peep. Then the scene just ends.
I believe that watching this with english subtitles probably does not do the movie justice. However, despite the subtitles, I am still not a fan. The subject material was too strange, and the movie itself did not interest me. I often found myself struggling to stay awake during the film as it was too slow moving, and nothing about it gained my interest. Even the strange scenes did not peak my interest as I just sat in my seat wondering why I was sitting through this movie.
The movie Attenberg is interesting and weird at the same time. The movie takes place in Greece. The main character, Marina, is awkward and naive throughout the entire movie. The movie begins with her best friend Bella teaching her how to kiss someone. It is a very awkward scene to watch given the private nature of the subject. The awkwardness continues when Marina asks her father if he fantasizes about her. It is a taboo topic in our culture, which makes it hard for the audience to watch. Marina proves to be very inexperienced and uncomfortable in sexual activity when she develops a relationship with a guy.
Another key component of this film is the reference and symbolism of wildlife documentaries of Sir David Attenborough. Multiple times throughout the movie Marina, Bella, or her dad engage in animalistic behaviors. In my opinion, they’re trying to show the true nature of humans that are held back by societal norms. Also, animal life videos are shown in the movie, like the movie Marina and her dad watch in the bedroom. A very interesting component is Marina and Bella’s coordinated walking/dancing outside the building. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this film because it was very different from typical films I watch.
The film, The Kid with a Bike, is a good movie directed by brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. The movie takes place in Belgium, where a young boy Cyril turns to a woman Samantha for support and comfort after his father abandoned in him. The movie focuses on the connections made when people are alone or on the outside. In the end, The Kid with a Bike is a very heartwarming film that made it easy to take in. A key component of the movie is the relationship between Cyril and Samantha. Their relationship grows throughout the movie through the difficulties and successes that they face.
Part of the reason why I think this is a brilliant foreign film is the fact it appeals to people and is very relatable. An important lesson is that sometimes the truth hurts. The truth that Cyril’s dad did in fact abandon in him and sold his bike was heartbreaking. Overall, I like the themes and real life applications that the Kid with a Bike portrays. Sometimes I feel it is harder for me to relate well to foreign films, however this movie shattered that perception. I really enjoyed watching this movie and would definitely recommend it to other people.
To say that this film was unconventional would be an understatement. The protagonist, Marina, is a 23 year old virgin who spends her time watching nature documentaries. She avoids spending time with human beings, preferring instead to observe nature, this is similar to how we, the audience, are observing her.
I was not really sure what to make of this film. Although I understood that it was a coming of age story, the movie as a whole was rather strange and twisted. Marina's exploration of her sexuality with the help of her friend Belle, while also taking care of her sick father, made the film unlike any other.
I was not a huge fan of this movie, it was perhaps too out there for me. While I understood that the film was trying to break traditional norms and break away from social establishment, it was a little too different for me.
The Kid With A Bike I went into this movie thinking I would get a traditional up and down then back up agin emotional roller coaster. What I got was more like a roller coaster with at least six flips, and four sharp turns. The constant struggle between Cyril and Samantha, and the constant actions of Cyril always moving on the bike or running, keep the movie in motion figuratively and literally. Overall I was very impressed by the quality of this foreign film, the heart warming story, and Cyril searching for his true identity through the bike was really touching and kept me very engaged throughout the film. Not only did this movie entertain, but exceeded my expectations.
I enjoyed this movie and thought the boy actor did a great job in a debut role, but overall I found the story highly implausible. That may stem from my own cynicism, but I don’t really believe that a random occurrence such as the one the boy had could lead to this bond that is more meaningful than any other one this kid has had in his life. This boy is rude, temperamental, and even abusive. I tried to put myself in the woman’s perspective of trying to reach out, but I had the last straw when boy harmed her. All I could think was “punk kid.” With that said, there is something to say about these portrayals that evoked such emotion in me. There were moments where I did feel sympathy and compassion for the kid. It’s hard to see that kid of character because it is so realistic. There are many kids like this boy who have been abandoned, and without the love and care of someone bad things happen to these children. It’s all too familiar, and I could connect with that. I applaud anyone who unselfishly takes a child into his or her life, and I felt the character of women was someone who exemplified the true essence of altruism. Even though I watched this film without my suspension of disbelief, I thought it was good story. It’s a good message that kindness and love can from anywhere, and it’s not easy to form a caring relationship for anyone. Every good life requires meaningful relationships with people who care about each other.
The Kid With a Bike is the latest project from Belgian filmmakers, the Dardenne brothers. Released in 2011, it stars Thomas Doret as a young foster child who copes with his father’s recent abandonment. The film tempts us to think Doret’s character, Cyril, causes trouble without reason but the more we see of him, the more we sympathize. Cecile de France plays the role of Samantha, a hairstylist who meets Cyril and agrees to foster him on weekends. Elements of unconditional love surface alongside themes of juvenile delinquency and mistrust, seamlessly bringing the film to life. The trailer for “Kid” caught my attention the very first time I watched it. I really enjoy young leads, especially in foreign films, and something felt right about it. I especially appreciated the opening, when Cyril tries to reach his father by phone and instead runs away from school. The Dardenne brothers never try to coat his antics or disguise his drive. We never have a private establishing moment with Cyril, but watching his interaction and the confidence with which he speaks about his father feel so human, so innocent and sincere. His reaching the apartment building and facing disappointment ignited a maternal instinct that I didn’t even know I’d already developed. Seeing him embrace Samantha, a total stranger, with so much faith exposes the vulnerability we already anticipate. The way she doesn’t shove him off or ask him to let go beautifully sets the stage for the story that follows. It goes without saying that I recommend The Kid With a Bike to any and all filmgoers. Cyril and Samantha’s relationship arouses comfort and thankfulness that all it takes is faith and an open heart to change an otherwise hopeless person’s life. The Dardenne brothers pair bits of witty humor with heartfelt drama and unbreakable devotion. They let viewers feel anything and everything they could possibly feel all at once and that’s seldom done properly in today’s industry.
The Kid with a Bike shows the story of an orphan - Cyril, who abandoned by his father and escape from the orphan house as he wants to find his father. During the process, Cyril met Samantha the hair dresser, who was extremely helpful to Cyril, Samantha breaks up with his boyfriend in order to help Cyril, who is an outrageous boy and misbehave all the time. However as more I watched the film, I find that Cyril's misbehaviors are only out of his longing to approach his father, who screwed his own life and can't afford (both financially and emotionally) to raise Cyril. The movie triggers my sympathy as the boy finds his father after great efforts, thought they can be happy forever, however only be treated as a burden as his father avoids him and refuses to be responsible to him. The movie is very touching in the way that people - both the child (Cyril) and the adult (Cyril's father) can be so vulnerable. And also how some people can be so altruism like Samantha, who helps others by willing to sacrifice her won love.
The Kid with a Bike The plot turned out to almost be the complete opposite of what I expected the movie to be when watching the trailer. The movie was somewhat saddening actually. It starts out with an Orphan named Cyril who abondons the orphanage one day in search of his long lost father and bike. Before being caught by the caretakers in a doctors office, he meets this women named Samantha who he holds onto in fear of going back to the orphanage. The women actually finds Cyrils bike and gives it to him the next day. Trying to stay optimistic after hearing the bike was found in the projects, Cyril believes that bike was stolen from his dad. Cyril takes his bike and finally meets up with his father who unexpectedly tells Cyril to never come back and seems very disturbed and upset to be found. After the rejection of his dad, he returns to Samantha for help since he doesn’t really have anyone left to go to. He ends up joining a gang which forces Cryil to steal from a newsstand owner. Cyril takes the money that he gets from stealing and tries once again to see his dad and bring the money to him with hopes that his dad will accept him this time but doesn’t. The movie ends with the son who Cyril robbed getting revenge on him. After Cyril is hurt, he finally wakes up and starts walking away deciding that he should move on to a new chapter of his life. This movie has a pretty depressing mood to it because of the theme of rejection by a family member. I felt extremely bad for Cyril and couldn’t imagine going through what he went through.
When I saw the trailer of Attenberg, I thought it was very weird and felt clueless about what the movie is about. But when I see the movie in the theatre I think that this film does make sense as the heroine, Marina has a unique childhood as she watched nature channel and herself always avoid encounter with others. She loathes humanity as a whole, all she do is learning animals behaviors as if she is not even a human. She does not develop the sexual desire as well. The first time she has sex with a man was only due to her thought that she need to do something all human beings do. But on the other hand, Marina also eagers to fit into the human society, because she tried to do what human are supposed to do (learnt how to do French kiss from her best and only friend). In the end she even asks her friend to have sex with her father, who is about to die. It shows Marina's love to her father and her strange outlook on interpersonal/sexual relationship - it is more like she sees sex as a tool to satisfy others and disregard the taboos in the human society. But I think the actress Ariane Labed had a great performance that she shows Marina's struggle between her ideology and the human social display rules.
We were told at the very beginning that the kid’s father did not want to take care of him, and it ended the storyline. The directors tried to go over the emotional changes afterwards with their audiences, and they succeeded. There were only four times that background music has been edited to the movie which I found pretty interesting. First time it was the very beginning where movie started. Second, it was the time Cyril was first denied by his father, he cried out loud in Samantha’s arms, it was probably the first time Samantha found out that the differences between Cyril and other kids, the music to me indicated a brand start of a relationship as well as an end of another one. The thrid time they used background music was the time Cyril wanted his farther to accept the grabbed money, his father did not accept that of course. It might come from the thought for Cyril’s own good but the scene was really sad. Cyril probably thought his father did not want to live with him due to financial reasons, but when he “proved” money was not a problem, he refused to accept him again. Cyril was forced to face the truth that father did not love him. And the last scene, when the father and son were busy discussing how to avoid legal liability, Cyril left them alone. It was really ironic that a father and son relationship used to be something Cyril wanted so badly. It is better to be with ones who love you than to chase after someone does not care about you.
A small town in Greece. Two girls. A childhood with my father grew up, a bit strange girl. She's a lot of things are learned from animal documentaries. Between her and her father are equal, and mutually supportive relationship.Although faint and do not know spade. However, each picture is beautiful, good to seethe director must also indulge in a wonderful picture, ignore the plot does not matter. Onebegins with a girl in the side of the white walls to teach a girl kiss the outset, I amstunned! ! An opening was overawed. All girl without a sense of people and things around for many years to indulge in favoritedocumentaries of nature in mind, not dealings with the person, hobby simulationchimpanzees body language, the comic footsteps of the inventor with your friends, and sometimes play and Dadanimals to live happy and at ease in their own little world ofarchitecture. Girl laughing slapstick, from time to time filled the atmosphere of happiness,in fact it is isolated, lonely happiness; followed by the face of a dying father to be around forever the heavy facts, but never account of how she faced the torrent of society, feel thesocial inevitability, had to force yourself to learn the characters exchange with the outside world and even intercourse, with the most unskilled mechanical physical act, and exploretheir own path of growth. Deliberately disguised outdated, away from the routine of its own way
Like many others who wrote about The Kid with a Bike, I was expecting a typical, sappy coming of age foreign film about a young boy. Instead, I was surprised with a great emotional story with endless twists and turns. Cyril, played by Thomas Doret, is a young boy who ends up in an orphanage after being abandoned by his father who he eventually goes out searching for. When he finally finds his father, Cyril is completely let down and rejected. His father is less than happy to see him and tells him to go away and never come back. This particular moment in the movie is completely heartbreaking. You cannot help but become emotionally attached to Cyril's character. Overall, the film is wonderfully done, the actors are exceptional, and the plot is easy to follow.
The movie Attenberg might have been the strangest movie that I’ve ever seen. That being said I really enjoyed watching it. The film really showed the main character’s detachment from real life. Her detachment was caused by a few things. One was her obsession with documentaries about animals. As I watcher I felt that she had more in common with the animals she watched on TV. This belief was furthered by the fact that she often imitated animals. Another reason why she acts detached is because of the way she was raised. It is made evident throughout the movie that her father raised her with the belief that the technological advancements of society were bad. Also although they live in a religious society, her father as an atheist and his life is restricted by that in their town. This would affect the character’s connection with her community greatly. Finally the main character is detached from society because her father is her only really close friend, and he is dying. Her detachment is shown well in a couple ways. The most obvious is her strange outings with her friend where they put on high heels and walk in a strange fashion. Another strong way it is shown is how she constantly calls her best friend a whore even though she really does like the girl. Finally it is shown in her extreme awkwardness with intimacy with her boyfriend.
Attenberg was one of those films that when I saw it, it was oddly pertinent to recent events in my life. I could relate well will Marina’s coping mechanisms with her father because recently one of my friend’s mothers was dying. What I liked about the film were the peculiar ways Marina dealt with his imminent death. In my recent experience there was mostly sulking and an overall sense of delaying the inevitable. I can surely say that we did not imitate animals when my friend’s mother was dying. I realize that this was Marina’s own way of coping and trying not to accept her father’s fate, but it was refreshing to see a person not feeling downtrodden and defeated with a person they know is going to die.
Marina’s coping mechanisms for her father’s death were a part of the film that I enjoyed, but I must say the movie as a whole was very strange. Marina and Bella’s relationship has to be one of the oddest things I have seen in a movie. At point, especially the first scene when Marina and Bella are kissing, I felt awkward simply being in the theater watching the film. After I left the film and thought about their relationship I sort of realized that the fact both of them are so awkward is probably what brought them together and made them such good friends.
The Cyrillic by the grace of a villain, on the utter sincerity. Listen to instigating people unconscious with a wooden stick, and then grab the money. The man gave him a dozen money, he will not, the man asked him why, he said, for you. Cyril riding a bicycle, run far away came to my father work place, to give money to the father. He said that he had stolen, no one knows. The father hesitated, afraid of getting himself into trouble again money to Cyril, and told him to get out of. Look at this for some time, my heart is twitching pain. Children, want to own a little weak force to back the adults to share the difficulties, even to please the adults, in order to achieve that point he deserves love. I would like to have had such experience, to see this yesterday once more, will unlimited sad. Do not know the Dardenne brothers and two why there is so sharp and vivid expression of those details as if the road when I came. Compared to get the Palme d'Or "tree of life" such unrealistic expectations that the broad mindedness of the works, "Bicycle Youth" is the real good movies. The script is still strong, truly seamless, not spread branches but its own distant world. Dardenne brothers never to lapse into sentimentality rarely lyrical, but moved them to bring people and the impact is still so strong. Play Cyrillic small boy, so good, if his body has its own shadow, then you really can not use some adjectives to describe what the feelings of his face his body.
People need emotional, from small to large. Feelings of each stage can get this life was complete. Small, that is called the father of the adults lost, kind of want to get back and get the struggling like Daoke bearing in mind the life, as if this is the next all the time, in order to make up that had lost .
The Kid with A Bike The Kid with a Bike tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who turns to a woman for comfort after his father has abandoned him. At the beginning of the movie Cyril, the boy, runs away from his foster house and ends up running into this woman who he holds on to because he does not want to be taken back. The woman ends up taking him in and taking care of him but all that he cares about is finding his father. It was frustrating to see this kid reject and resist Samantha's help and care. It makes me think about my relationship with my parents and how I difficult I can be at times to be taken care of and I realize that I should not be this way. After giving Cyril the bike, which Samantha found, he goes off to find his father. His father, however, wants nothing to do with him and tells him never to come back. This leads to Cyril joining a gang which forces him to commit crimes, like stealing from a newsstand owner. He takes this money to his father in hopes that he will take him back and take him in but this fails. The kid who Cyril hurt earlier gets revenge and injures Cyril. This leads to Cyril deciding to start a new part of his life and forget the past. This movie was very touching and I enjoyed it a lot.
"Bicycle boy" tells the story of a 11-year-old boy abandoned by his father. The movie begins with a hand lens, the boy Cyril panting appears in the picture, he was looking for his discarded the father of the children's welfare homes, to retrieve his beloved bicycle. This is the life of a human state dictates, a life without reason, the Dardenne brothers also natural to dispose of this paragraph, expressed her feelings on the Cyrillic only in the later part of a plot. When her boyfriend asked her to Cyril and to make a choice between his time, Samantha finally chose the Cyrillic, which is a silent emotion, it seems no more statements.Cyril did not give up looking for his father, in his opinion it was his only rely on. When they found in the outskirts of a restaurant into the plight of the father, his father also abandoned the Cyrillic, he relentlessly refused to leave Cyrillic glimmer of hope of a better, requirements Samantha and Cyril do not come to him, otherwise he can not start a new life. Lie between the child's world and the adult world, too many things are still not eliminated, but Cyrillic never fear, loneliness, he was still silent, but his silence is a tolerance and the power of love, because he knew someonelove her to trust her, he bid farewell to the past at this moment, began to grow up
Attenberg Matthew Head I'm not sure I understood Attenberg, this movie to me was much stranger than it was interesting. I understood the plot obviously but I did not take anything deeper out of it. The reason I think I could not connect with the movie was because how Marina delt with problems. I couldnt connect with her because she had noting to connect with, she was influenced heavily by society but was nothing like everyone else in society. Marina also loved her father but did not show it like a normal person. One must keep in mind that she did have to deal with her fathers imminent death. Marina is so detached from society, it is impossible to connect with her.
The Kid with a Bike is at the top of my list for the movies I have seen at the Cosford Cinema. From the time the film began, I immediately felt a connection with the young boy, Cyril, whom the movie revolves around and this connection lasted throughout the entire movie.
One thing I believe that was key to the success of the character Cyril was the role the bike played in the film. Cyril’s dad essentially does not want anything to do with him, as he needs to focus on work and making a steady salary. Thus, it is almost as if the bike serves as the father figure for Cyril throughout the film. Although it may sound usual, Cyril often goes to his bike when he is in a time of need and feeling frustrated. Cyril to his bike is just like a teenager to a diary, it is a place for him to let out his emotions and escape the real world. Even though Cyril can be seen as living a lonely life with no real family there for him and goes through several hardships during the film, by the end of the movie it is almost as if he is part of a family. Between Samantha, the bike, and Cyril, not the usual family is created, yet it is a family for Cyril nevertheless.
When I saw Attenberg, I was caught off guard immediately with the kissing scene at the beginning of the movie. Due to scenes such as that one and others, I was uncomfortable for the entire film and I think that feeling distracted me from analyzing the film and realizing its true meaning. When I was able to repress the my feeling of oddity towards to film, I was able to understand a little bit more about the characters.
I believe one of the true beauties of the film is that Marina and Bella are able to enjoy their lives in a simplistic way and without all of the advancements in technology. Marina enjoys life from a primitive state and although it is thought by most to just be plain weird, through further analyzation, she is just living life the way she knows how to which in this case, is by acting like an animal. The film focuses on emotions and feelings and how they are conveyed by Marina and Bella. The way in which they show their feelings may seem odd, but they are just acting in ways that they have been accustomed to as a result of learning from their surroundings. Attenberg, which may seem odd to most, has a unique message and appeal.
This movie is about a boy who is left in a state run youth farm, abandoned by his father. The kid- Cyril, obsessively searches for his bicycle. The movie is very deep. Cyril places his last bit of hope in the symbol of his relationship with that of his fathers. The town hairdresser agrees to foster him on weekends, in a random act of kindness. This act surprises the hairdresser to find herself so determined to help Cyril. In this film, the Dardenne brothers explore the emotional life of an 11 year old, who searches for father figures, with his wild and unpredictable behavior. The film’s concern is raised by the behavior of the man, with fathers and sons above the education and poverty issues, compelling to a universal moral plane, which is more interesting. Finally, the Dardenne brothers afford huge dignity and strength to Cyril.
ROMEO AND JULIET When I heard about Romeo and Juliet being played at the Cosford, I actually got really excited about seeing this because I enjoy Shakespeare and all of the work he has done. Unfortunately, this performance did not live up to my expectations. I understand that it was a ballet and ballet operas do not have dialogue but the whole point of a Shakespeare play is the beauty that is included in his intricate dialogue. He creates elegance through his measured iambic pentameters and I personally feel that this play should not have been turned into a ballet. Without previously knowing the backstory to the play, I feel that I would have been extremely lost watching this. Besides that, the costuming and scenery that was created for this performance were extremely beautiful. The costumes were one of the main reasons why I was able to follow along with the plot line because both families were represented by different colors. Overall, the show was phenomenal and I know the actors and dancers went through a lot to get ready for it but I still think that a Shakespeare play should not be turned into a ballet or opera that doesn't include his amazing speeches or dialogue. Alexandra Ball C07809270
The movie started with the scene where two girls were making out. One girl is teaching the other how to kiss with their tongue, while the other girl seemed to not enjoy it very much during the process. It is a really weird and awkward scene and I did not enjoy watching it. It is strange and I felt uncomfortable watching it. The girl is strange. In her eyes, human beings are weird and annoying so she always keeps distance with others. She learned most of the stuff from the songs from a band name Suicide and her best friend who was teaching her kissing at the beginning. I guess what the movie really trying to tell us is that human being doesn’t really have much social difference, what they have is many actions that were alike to animals. This was resulted from the non-formal education system nowadays, which lead to the extreme personality in the film. It also proved how people could have so many different forms under different environment. This is a film I rather not watch it again, not my type.
Although “The Kid With a Bike” seemed like one of the more simple films I’ve seen, it had a very powerful message and meaning. It was a portrayal of a poor young boy named “Cyril” that was completely ignored by his biological father. The relevance of the Bike within the story had symbolism of being the only connection with his dad, since it was the only material possession he had remaining that his father gave him. Throughout the film, the young boy was constantly very stubborn to everyone in his life, and clearly didn’t care about anything else besides living with his father again. However, their was another important relationship between him and Samantha who constantly showed affection and care for the boy but he never accepted it as a replacement to his father’s. He always went back to his Dad to gain his approval, but even when he came back from money that he stole, the boy was rejected. In this perspective, the film did an exceptional job with adding to the atmosphere of the disappointment in Cyril by adding very heartbreaking music and including obvious-looking sad gestures. Cyril also comes off as being very calm and relaxed whenever he rides his bike most likely because it reminds him when he was with his father. His father simply didn’t want him back because he was afraid of commitment and responsibility to raise a child.
The boy who is not cared by his father, Cyril loves his father so much. So he stole money for his father and did many bad things which made his father disappointed with him. Since he is very poor boy, he rarely change the clothes and this shows his behaviors and expressions well. Samantha, who loves Cyril unconditionally, always helps him in lots of ways. And I think it is really great thing that her giving up boyfriend things because of Cyril. She regards him as the boy who needs cares and loves. Therefore, I was very moved by her decision and respect her. When he needs her, she was always be with him. Also, I like the music in the movie. The music was well matched in every scene. So I could concentrate on the film more. There were many sad scenes in the movie. Especially when Cyril went to police, he changed his clothes and became no longer rude regretting his past misbehaviors.
Attenberg features a young woman in her 20’s who is completely bizarre. It would seem as if she’s been locked up her entire life and only recently exposed to other people and society.
The film opens with this girl Marina kissing her best friend Bella so that Marina can see how it feels. The clumsy fashion they go about it makes it only seem ridiculous and cannot be taken seriously. The film follows Marina as she deals with the impending death of her father from some fatal illness and her maturation as a person. It is interesting because Marina watches numerous documentaries of animals by David Attenborough and that is exactly what we as an audience get; a documentary on a peculiar individual. But the films lack substance, a great portion of the film is Marina making animal noises and pretending to be an animal as well as Marina and Bella walking down the same concrete path doing odd dance/animal moves. There is also Marinas attempted relationship with a man which is also very unorthodox and odd.
All in all it just seemed to me like the film was a documentary of a socially awkward 20 something year old female who didn’t know how to handle life without the impending loss of her father and her attempts to become a part of society.
kid with a bike The children that be abandoned is very obsession with his family, in this film,11 years old Cyril also tried to find him in the center of the welfare lost father, but father's forsake him is like to lose his bicycle, perhaps in the father's heart, and he just negative tired as bikes, because at least can also be sold for profit bike with solution of financial difficulty.Had this painful experience of children, the heart of the stranger it is difficult to assess wounds, they tend to become silent anger rebel, and relatively mature, sometimes also can appear too paranoid to rub along confirming that he abandoned, the child may also committing, such as the father let Cyril understand him in the economic situation is not good for the father, just after a pack, and the camera from the left to the Cyril face, the mood of the last float on his cheeks, and then he takes up his TouLian travelers have the Jane city of waiting for desperate and just buried in their graves, this is child hate his own performance, they think that everything is now suffer from himself is not good. in my opinion, I think parents should spend more time with his children and make it feel not lonely
This movie is very typical of sex-themed foreign films. Marina, a 23 year old girl who doesn't connect well with others, has no sexual experience, save for what her girl friend (Bella) has taught her. She has her first sexual experience with a man passing through her small sea-side town.
Marina is also grieving over her terminally-ill father. It appears that she can not imagine life on her own without her father. She asks Bella to sleep with her father at the end, as a favor before he dies.
This film had some intimate episodes between characters, but was a little dry. I did appreciate the romanticism of the greek language, though.
Jason Koreen
ReplyDeleteThe Kid With a Bike was truly a brilliant film. I thought the meaning behind it was heartwarming, as it must have connected with anyone who’s gone through difficulty in his or her life. I’m not sure if I agree with how the film ended, as I’m skeptical if it was necessary for Cyril to run into the boy and his father who he had beaten and robbed. Nonetheless, the morals behind the film were dead on. It was apparent that his father genuinely didn’t want to give up on Cyril, but did so because he felt he would have a better life in the hands of someone else, in this case Samantha. I liked how the film went full circle, as Cyril had left his father and then met the “dealer” with whom he would work for in exchange to attempt to get his father back by giving him the money he had stolen. It was touching, on the other hand, to see Cyril and Samantha’s relationship grow to success after some of the difficulties they went through together. It appears that Cyril is now on a path for success as he seems to have moved passed his troubled time of trying to get his father back and impressing the older boys, as he seems to have matured a lot from his experiences. He now has a loving relationship with Samantha and it looks clear that he will be friends with a nice boy in Mourad.
The Kid With A Bike was one of the best foreign films I had seen in a while. I was happy that the trailer didn’t give away too much of the film although it was very apparent from watching it that his father dejected and abandoned him in some way which kind of gave some main things away. I think that not watching the trailer before going into the movie would have brought on more surprises.
ReplyDeleteThe story in itself was pretty heartbreaking as the young boy, Cyril, battles to believe that his own father would not have abandoned him or even sold his own bike. However, once he realizes that his father does in fact refuse to keep him under his wing and that he did sell his bike because of money issues, this seriously affects his emotional state of mind and puts him on the endless search for love. The loss of a father figure at the age of eleven can be detrimental to the well being of a child and we see Cyril’s emotions progress more intensely from the beginning of the film to the end. His hanging out with “The Dealer” almost becomes a direct result of his fathers rejection. However, although this film focuses mostly on the young boy, I think the role of adults play an equally important role.
For one, Samantha seemed to be the mother figure while having this awareness about her where she came off as one of the strongest characters. I felt that Cyril’s father was a bit harsh in telling him to never come back. However, after Cyril runs from the revengeful stone throwing son of the newsstand owner after mugging them, we find out that Cyril’s real father happened to be the most honest father as the newsstand owner comes up with a lie to tell the police when Cyril falls from the tree. I found it interesting that the men that Cyril mugged was a father and son. It kind of showed the strike and hardships that Cyril and his father were both facing. The color choice in the film really stuck out to me as the boy was always seen wearing a red shirt which is symbolic of his strong emotional feelings. Overall I liked everything about the film but the only thing that bothered me was the fact the boy never once locked his bike even after it continued to get stolen.
Kid with a Bike is sad at first, but it has a happy ending so I found it very rewarding. The movie is very realistic, similar to TomBoy, with music only playing when the character turns it on, except for the really dramatic parts, like when Cyril is told the truth by his father. There are also no markings for the passage of time (such as “two months later”, etc.) which would be quite handy at times throughout the story, just for clarification. One thing I really admired was Samantha’s unconditional love for Cyril; to the extent of giving up her boyfriend in preference of Cyril, is a monumental decision, I don’t know too many people who would do that for a kid who isn’t their blood. I really respect Samantha for her decision, her personality really made me love her character. I really like the moral of the story. It’s essentially a play on the golden rule—do unto others as you would have done onto you. Cyril is jumped by the son of the “newsagent” whom he jumps a few scenes earlier. I’ve known a few characters like Wes—Weskar—and I understand how Cyril is tempted by him, although every part of me was holding back from yelling, “Nooo!!! Runn!!!”, throughout those couple scenes. There were a lot of medium close-up shots and American shots throughout the film which I liked for the most part. I’m not exactly a huge fan of the Italian shot when it comes to dialogue scenes; I like to be able to see most of the character, take in what he/she is wearing, his/her body language, etc. I really disliked Guy Catoul. The actor was great, but the character, ugh! I’m sure I’m not the only person who wanted so slap him for how he treated his son. Seriously, how could the guy not even be man enough to tell his own son, he doesn’t want to see him again, why lead the poor boy on? Cyril at least deserves the truth. It’s very rewarding to see him with Samantha, it’s a relationship, similar to Matilda and Miss Honey, in the film Matilda.
ReplyDeleteAttenberg was the weirdest movie ever.
ReplyDeleteJason Koreen
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed how the film Attenberg tells the story of Marina, a 23 and beautiful, but extremely awkward and reserved women. I found it very interesting how Marina’s cold, and distant demeanor reflects the area that surrounds her. There are identical, dull white houses spread over the tainted rocky Mediterranean soil that reminded me of the bits and pieces of the old Greek architecture that had remained recognized for centuries. I also found in interesting, yet sad how Marina’s cancer-stricken father, Spyros, and her best friend Bella are the only two people she has interacted with at the film’s start. This is obviously the template for the movie as this one fact sets the stage for her immaturity and lack of experience. It was also sad that Spyros and Bella indulge and accept her twisted view of the world as a necessary coping mechanism. I found it ironic how the film opens with Bella showing Marina how to kiss, as this is clearly the opposite of what should have been happening. Marina’s child-like attitude sets the stage for some awkward laughs, which are the only kind this movie has, but it is also shown as a crippling personality disorder in the film. I found it intriguing how Marina latches on to a series of random obsessions that further contribute to her isolation and loneliness and how one of these - the films of British naturist Sir David Attenborough – lead to Bella’s mispronunciation of his name, which is where the film gets its title.
The short Broad Beans, which played before Attenberg, was weird to say the least. I liked it for the most part. I think the moral of the story is to never eat broad beans, (haha) or at least it reinforces the typical saying that appears around Halloween, don’t eat something if you’re not sure where it came from or it could’ve been tampered with. I thought the film looked somewhat grainy and old, as if it had been shot in the early 80s because of the color. It gave me a different impact than if it would’ve been filmed like movies are filmed today.
ReplyDeleteAttenberg was a strange movie. The opening scene, the awkward kissing, I only have two words for: HOLY HELL!! It was almost like watching a bird regurgitating for its babies. Granted I know most first kisses aren’t exactly smooth, but whoah. The reaction from the audience for that scene was hilarious. Then when they start playing “tigers” or cats, I think the title “Attenberg, the new Greek weird wave” fits very accurately. I can’t believe Marina talked to her dad about imagining him “naked, but with no penis.” The movie tackled quite a few awkward obstacles that I don’t think people think about on a daily basis. People just take those moments with a grain of salt and try to get on through life yet Marina constantly brings up these moments throughout the film.
There are a couple scenes of Marina and Bella doing some kind of choreographed walk/dance thing. I’m not sure as to the meaning of it, but I would be willing to guess it had something to do with David Attenborough’s documentary on flamingos or something like that. Strange scenes aside, this film is also atypical in that the audience doesn’t even learn the main character’s name until about forty-five minutes into the film. I think it goes to show, physical things (actions) are more important than mental things (names, dates).
The Kid With A Bike:
ReplyDeleteI like this movie, because it is expressing the reality without accompanying with any big starts and decoration. It is a bike, a boy Cyril and a very kind hairdresser Samantha. Cyril is a very poor boy who is discarded by his Dad. He then lives with Samantha on the weekend. Cyril knows his father has trouble and cannot afford to live with him, so when he gets the stolen money, he gives the money to his father, tries to help his father out and lives with him. But he gets disappointed again. Every time when there is a little climax happen, the background music will play to add extra sadness to the movie. It is very interesting that Cyril is always wearing a red coat or red T-shirt, maybe the director just wants us to focus on Cyril, his behavior and his expression as well. There is only one time he wears a blue shirt with jean coat at the scene of police station. At that time, he is no longer a rude and willful kid. He shows his respect and regret just like he changes his color of clothes. The movie does a real good job at using many gesture languages to express the deep feeling of the kid and Samantha. For instance, the way Cyril rides his bike, every time he rides it differently, and how Samantha hugs Cyril and catches him. Every gesture express different meaning and feeling. The story is actually very simple, but the manner of the movie shoots gives us a deep thought about kinship, the selfish parents might create a lot of problems and misery to their kids and also the society.
The Kid with the Bike
ReplyDeleteBeing the genius predictor of all things movie and tv shows that I am (not to toot my own horn or anything of course, cause that would just be rude), it is very hard for me not to be bored with most of the entertainment content available out there these days, even if they be movie or tv series that I love. It is not necessarily that I want something to shock me, it is just very rare that something actually be GOOD - which, apparently, is a lot to ask for these days. So going into The Kid with the Bike, I was hesitant - a kid gets abandoned by his father and goes down the wrong path as a result of it - I mean really, could you be more cliche than that? Not to mention, I don't know about you, but I can't think of too many people who would take in a kid that wasn't theirs or wasn't left to them in a will or whatever (and even then...). Now, I realize based on the trailer alone, one (depending on the film) can't know the intricacies or the specific circumstances of the whole story that could potentially play out on screen, but what I'm getting at is the idea discussed in class about the material released before affecting one's perceptions of a film before actually seeing it. Having said that, the film wasn't bad - not at all - I guess it's just a matter of adjusting your filters if you will to the content at hand, and not basing all of your opinions on stacking what you're seeing against favorites of the past and what you hold to be your personal preferences or usual choices. For example, trying to keep judgements and attitudes in check BEFORE entering the movie theatre. After all, it is nice to have little films such as these sneak up and surprise you every once in a while in a new and refreshing way.
I rarely find myself leaving the movies with an infectious smile on my face. Even if I love the movie I just saw, the feeling of euphoria usually dies down after a few brief moments. With The Kid with a Bike, however, I stayed smiling for the rest of the day. The movie follows Cyril, a young boy who has been abandoned by his father. All he has to rely on is his bike and Samantha, the woman who takes him in. At first, it seems like a stereotypical coming-of-age story, but the film breathes new life into the genre by taking some unexpected twists. Although the plot was simple, I found it very engaging. Very little happens across the course of the film, but I still found myself drawn into the story and the characters. The simple, charming story of a young boy left me with a smile for the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, a good foreign film is one such that can be enjoyed by an international audience who could very well lack knowledge of the culture of the movies origin. The Kid With a Bike is a great example of this. The french film holds true to a story that could be understood anywhere around the world, and achieve the same reactions and feelings from any type of viewer. Though the conflict and individual character's perceptions were complex and powerful, they weren't hard to understand or connect to. I'm not a mother myself, but I find the character of Samantha to be the most relatable. I think all parents understand the conflict of building a relationship with your child and the difficulties that arise when you're trying to do what's best for them. The full circle the movie makes and the happy ending are also something that I think add to its success. It started out very sad, and people want to get a sense of hope from movies, with a story like this it alluded to the movie's everlastingness.
ReplyDeleteThe Kid with a Bike
ReplyDeleteThe story of The Kid with a Bike is very simple. Cyril is very rebellious as soon as he appears on the scene. So to speak, instead of being civilized, he is paranoid, and stubbornly confronts against things all around him. Many audiences don't like this little hero. He is not lovely at all, but self-righteousness, has the attitude of self-mutilation and violence. He does not understand the adults’ minds totally. However, the movie cuts the scene of the antecedent of characters. If we recall the fact that he is abandoned by his father, but he tries his best to find his father, protect himself in this way, are forced to choose extreme of early maturity, then these acts will be understood.
The movie clearly shows the cowardice of Cyril’s father. He is coward, cold, and afraid of bearing the responsibility. Obviously, Cyril is a small child, but he shows the conscious of confrontation against terror, clings to do things capriciously. Bike seems to be a marked sign of characters in lower class in the works of directors of Dardenne brothers. After Cyril loses his father, bike has become the only object of maintaining his miss. Cyril enjoys the happiness of being together with his bike, while audiences have to be nervous and afraid of its being stolen all the time.
However, The Kid with a Bike fails to explain the benevolence of Samantha. Especially when her boyfriend asks her whether she wants him or Cyril, she chooses Cyril decisively. Maybe, only loneliness shall explain all. A lonely heart needs another one, and they close to each other. When Cyril holds Samantha desperately, when Cyril returns painfully and disappointedly from his father, when they two travel by the bike and bathe into the sunshine…Samantha finds that she is able to accompany Cyril. As for whether it is the pity idea, or protection desire or other complex emotions, the movie fails to give explanations and only leaves a huge blank. A common movie may set and adds in this way, such as Samantha also has the frustrated past, growth of shadow, which shall use a group of shots to show her desolation and loneliness. Doesn’t her emotion toward Cyril turn too clear in this way?
Holding by hands and shooting are adopted in the shots. The Kid with a Bike uses four sections of music. Each one reminds the audiences that: this is a disturbance of emotion, that is to say, the sensation point. This kind of sensation reaches the extremity at the end, an unforgettable end. In the doubt of tragedy, Cyril is awakened by the mobile phone, which is the delicate touch of the movie.
It is the common thing of common people that is able to generate unusual emotion power, which makes you realize that there are something ignored by many people in your life, your surroundings. Those poor and hateful things always fill your mind with a myriad of thoughts and ideas, which lets you find the warm and cruelness of life.
ATTENBERG
ReplyDeleteAttenberg ---Werid wave of greek cinema. After having watched this movie, it makes people cannot help thinking of that natural documentary of planets have been played in this movie repeatedly. The full—length shot at the beginning of the film which is about the tongue training kiss with the girlfriend of the sworn followers and then changing to the cat bends down to roar makes me impressive. I think what Attenberg stresses is two major tasks of sex and death that the life shall experience. The different inter-cut scenes in the film including Marina’s view of things and the world which is influenced by his father’s education since childhood, she is not good at contacting with others, she knows nothing about sex and helps his father who has got cancer to handle with the things happening afterward. All these are the awkwardness, hesitation and helplessness of Marina when facing to sex, death and the objects around her. In the whole film, I have found no key point or buoyant feeling, but I can deeply feel that the heroine who is born in a single-parent family has the idea of integrating into the society while she hates human beings at her bottom of heart. Every time the performance that Marina and her good sisters imitate the behaviors of various animals makes me feel that maybe they are happier and more pleasing in the world of animals
When thinking back on the scenes that the heroin makes love with other the man she likes bluntly, I think it is completely caused by the failure of education. Because the heroine has no feeling about it and can not respond to the hero in correct way. Naturally, the language only has the function of describing each kind of organ and methods while has no meaning of communication or expression. All anti-ape phenomenon and Marina knowing nothing about death can reflect the problem of her father’s educational system
In the lecture after the film has been played, two professors say that Greek economic crisis in recent years have affected the film industry a lot including that their budget of filmmaking is only about 30000 Euros and only the directors help each other and subsidize the budget can they accomplish the production of a small film.
Attenberg
ReplyDeleteI honestly think this is the weirdest movie I have ever seen in my whole life. It was filled with very strange and awkward scenes. I also felt the film had some sort of empty scenes in which, really, nothing happened, nothing. What shocks me the most is that it was weird and rare and bizarre and all, but I was actually quite entertained. It had some funny parts as a matter of fact. Nonetheless, there were some scenes I did not really like, like when Marina and her best friend walk holding their hands and marching, dancing, whatever. I have no idea what that was all about, and it was a scene that was repeated (with new dances, coordinations) all throughout the film. I found it funny when Marina kept talking and talking when trying to have sex with Spyros. He couldn’t handle it anymore and just told her to shut up. I also found a little disgusting to just throw Marina’s father ashes into the sea; I thought they were going to be simply sunk in the water inside the urn. To me it was very repelling so to speak, or simply horrific, that Marina asked her best friend to go and please her father. But again, the whole film was absolutely bizarre, so I guess I was not really surprised about that. Usually I do not like to be reading subtitles and hence listening to foreign language movies, but this one did not bother me. It really caught my attention, which I find very unusual given how strange this film was.
Attenberg
ReplyDeleteI understand that Attenberg was a different kind of film that I am not used to seeing but I was unable to overlook it. At the beginning I was completely thrown off by the kissing scene of the two friends and after hearing the daughter tell her dad she has thought of him naked, it was hard for me to enjoy the rest. The whole movie is about the father slowly dying and his daughter exploring sexually. The main character is completely awkward and the guy she started hanging with was random. All of a sudden she just starts kissing the guy who she drives but we barely learn anything about him. I noticed a reoccurring theme of animals in this film. The dad and daughter were constantly making animal noises and prancing around like monkeys. I also noticed anytime the daughter was taking care of the father, they were watching on tv animals in their natural habitat. I was trying to figure out a correlation between the animals and the daughter's animal like behavior when exploring sexually. I found it uncomfortable when the main character asks her best friend to sleep with her dad before he dies. Something I did not understand was the continuos random scenes of the two girls walking side by side strutting in matching dresses and boots. Overall, I was confused by this film but it definitely was interesting.
The Kid with a Bike
ReplyDeleteEven though it sounds corny, I found this film touching. I felt for the little boy Cyril this whole movie. I could not imagine how a father could just leave his kid and never want to see him again. Cyril's only connection to his father is the bike that his father had given him in the past. I loved the character Samantha, even though Cyril gave her trouble by always running away and never listening, she stood by his side and still cared for him. Cyril was young yet he had to deal with so much. He was constantly facing obstacles whether it was another boy stealing his bike, his father not caring to see him, or another boy trying to get Cyril involved with stealing, Cyril stayed stubborn. Cyril stayed strong throughout but his weakness would shine through for his father. It was so hard for me to watch Cyril constantly trying to have his father contact him. He even steals money in order to help out his father. Samantha becomes a mother figure, always being there for him even when he lashes out at her. I noticed how throughout the film, there was never any music except the same music would play whenever Cyril had a breakdown. I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend it. The film can be upsetting at times because you feel for Cyril but you leave the film in a good mood knowing that he ends up having Samantha there for him.
“The Kid with a Bike” was a film that I enjoyed stylistically, but the plot was a little bit too simplistic for me. I liked the way the Dardene brothers really captured the emotions of the young boy, Cyril. Cyril has this naïve idea that his father is somehow going to come back and acts accordingly. Cyril’s naivety is exemplified when believes that stealing money from others is the way that he can get his dad to come back. I liked the emotions that the film evoked in the viewer, but I thought they were a little bit simple. I enjoyed the character of Samantha and how she blindly cares for Cyril, but I didn’t like how quickly her and Cyril’s relationship accelerates. I felt the same way about how quickly Cyril was willing to make friends with the bad kid. These parts of the plot were underdeveloped in my opinion and thus didn’t give as good of an affect as I would have expected.
ReplyDeleteWhile I did find certain parts of the film underdeveloped, I did enjoy the emotions that the film evoked. The blind love that Samantha exhibits toward Cyril is something that is admirable and the viewer can look up to. Another part of the film I enjoyed was the way the film was filmed. The choice by the Dardene brothers to shoot the majority of the film in close up was something that I enjoyed. The close up shots allowed the viewer to easily see the emotions of the characters and thus relate to those characters.
For me, “The Kid With A Bike” fell short of being a dramatic or emotionally poignant film. The plot was boring and almost laughable at parts, and quite frankly I did not find Cyril to be an endearing character. Sure, we feel bad for him because his father has abandoned him (all though all he did was move a few blocks away in the same city), but let’s face it: Cyril is a brat. His antics were far from adorable or sympathetic in my opinion; they were downright annoying. Things picked up a bit for me after he is “adopted” by the hair dresser (but only for weekends? France must have a strange foster system). However, once he takes up with the “dealer”, a skinny French kid who looks about as dangerous as a field of daisies, things went downhill. I couldn’t take him as a serious threat to Cyril. I mean, what kind of gang banger rubs dirt out of a kid’s eye for him, helps his grandmother off the floor, and then plays PS3 with his newest recruit? Real dangerous stuff right there. When he gets Cyril to mug the local newspaper agent, I almost laughed out loud. A ten or eleven year old knocking out a full grown man with a light tap of a baseball bat? I don’t think so. The plot of this film was silly from start to finish, and lacked any real substance or emotional power for me.
ReplyDelete“Attenberg”, on the other hand, I actually enjoyed. If you took out the strange animal scenes between Bella and Marina, it would actually be a great film. The power in “Attenberg” does not lie in the obvious theme at the surface, of dealing with sexuality and sexual identity. Making a foreign film about sexual identity is about as original as making an action film where Jason Statham punches everyone in the throat. Interesting to watch, but it’s been done before. Where its true success lies is its subtle, underlying themes of postindustrial disillusionment and modernism in Greece. I was incredibly surprised at how Marina and her relationship with her dying father went beyond the usual dialogues of life and death, but transcended to their differing views of Greece’s postmodern development. I found it to be a powerful allegory considering Greece’s current economic status in the world. The way the film is shot also reminded me of the recent George Clooney movie “The Descendants”. While certainly different in many ways, both films deal with death and loss of a loved one and are filmed in locations typically viewed as vacation paradises: Greece in “Attenberg” and Hawaii in “The Descendants”. Despite the stereotypical look of these locations, both are filmed in manner that borders on depressing and gray, with the settings functioning much more in the background of the plot than as characters themselves. Overall, “Attenberg” utilized a unique editing of sequences and powerful, though limited, scenes of dialogue to convey its themes of death and identity.
The Kid with a Bike is a drama film about a troubled boy rehabilitated by the kindness of a stranger. In “The Kid with a Bike” narrative comes first. Although the cinematography, costumes and setting are well-done they never distract from the story. Fortunately in “The Kid with a Bike” the story is more than enough to carry the film. Although we know instinctively that Cyril will be “saved” by Samantha there is enough realism in between introduction and salvation to keep the plot interesting. Although I would categorize this as a happy ending film, it is a happy ending film one does not have to feel guilty for enjoying. It also helps that the characters of Cyril and Samantha are superbly acted. The character of Samantha could have easily descended into a one-dimensional Mother Teresa caricature yet never does. She is kind but still believable. The relationship between her and Cyril is also very believable. Their interactions drive the story. It is a testament to how believable and captivating their relationship was that I forget the film was in French and that I was reading subtitles. In the end, film-making is really about telling a story. “The Kid with a Bike” returns to these roots.
ReplyDeleteThe Kid with a Bike
ReplyDeleteBefore I had seen The Kid with a Bike I had only heard what it was going to be about. With that knowledge I thought the movie was going to be sad and dramatic but was pleasantly surprised with an overall happier ending. A child being abandoned by his father and searching for him is very cliché and one would think a very boring story, but Jean-Pierre Dardenne does a very good job at making the story interesting and unique. The relationships made in the movie between Cyril and Samantha make the movie great. This woman and her compassion to take in a troubled child who is not her own is amazing. The progression of how much Samantha cares about Cyril is realistic and really makes the movie heart warming. The fact that it takes Cyril a long time and more bad experiences with his father to finally accept Samantha totally makes the movie even more realistic. I normally do not like watching foreign films but thoroughly enjoyed watching The Kid with a Bike.
Erik Rueckle-c10166645
DeleteThe Kid with a Bike
ReplyDeleteThis is kind of an emotional film. But I have to say, I really enjoyed it. When I first read what this was about I thought that it was kind of simple story: boy it’s sad, boy tries to reunite with father, father is a mess, boy meets “savior”, boy and “savior” get along, conflict, climax, everything is fine again (not that simple after all, now that is written on paper). The movie surprised me, even though the outline of the plot is basically what I just described, the movie is so emotionally engaging that it’s hard to not get attached to Cyril. Stylistically the film is amazing. Performance based, the boy is outstanding. Overall I really enjoyed the movie. I really like how the movie ends; they capture the perfect emotion in the audience (or at least in me). For what felt like long seconds I thought Cyril was dead. I was upset and I was thinking “ finally a chance for him and Samantha to start as a family, family a ray of hope for the boy, but his past mistakes had taken his life”, honestly when he started walking I was surprised. But the way they handled that moment and that bittersweet emotion, for me, was the best part of the movie.
Attenberg
And from “emotionally engaging”, to “what the hell am I watching?...”. I consider myself to be a very open minded type of audience, but Attenberg cross the line. I try my best to stay focus and be at the very least a little entertained. While the story had everything to be an interesting kind of quirky story, I did not enjoy the film. The best word to describe it is weird. Don’t get me wrong, I am not one that gets scared with weird bizarre things, but this just didn’t make it for me.
So anyways, let’s concentrate on the few things I did like about the film:
Stylistically I like the fact that the colors of the whole film are very uniform, I don’t how to explain it better than, everything felt grey based like kind of cloudy. I liked this because the most important character in the film Marina is that way too. Marina’s best friend Bella is the one who took Marina’s curiosities to life. Even though I consider the “animal dances” the strangest elements of the film, now that I think about it were crucial to the film. What they were trying to explain is that as different as Marina and Bella might seem or as different as we are all from each other, we are just one experience away to be the same.
Kyle Laney
ReplyDeleteI saw Attenburg a few days ago and found it to be extremely strange and confusing on multiple levels. I found the opening scene with the kiss of Marina and her best friend as well as the repeated scenes depicting them marching around to be very strange and made me question the sanity of the director. While I do realize that this film is supposed to be unique and really make the viewer think about cinema in a whole new way, I believe that the director overdid it this time. On one hand it is important to be bold and take some risks in filmmaking, but on the other hand the film has to conform to enough genre rules to appeal to the audience at large. Even though there are surely some people that enjoy going to these types of films, I would suspect that this type of film drives most people away. The bizarre scene where Marina asks her best friend to go “please her father” to be way too disturbing for my taste. I really do try to see the positive side of every film, but this one was too far out there for my taste.
The Kid with the Bike was a film that I was not impressed with. I have seen the film "Here After" with the same French actress and felt with her popularity over seas and her character in the movie was a miss for the movie. It was almost not realistic to me. When the boy runs into the actress in the hospital room, it is hard to not foreshadow that the two will meet again. I was brought in and out of the film because of this.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I enjoyed very much so "Attenberg".The film offered me a positive reception for my upbringing as well as the appreciation for life. It was a success for me on many levels from an intriguing story line, relatable “growing of age” characters and an amusing comedy with a dark edge. In many ways it reminded me of the recent Academy Award nominee The Descendants and the characters forced to deal with death. There is a scene in the end of Attenberg where Marina follow-throughs with her father’s demands, sprinkling his ashes into the sea, there is the same scene in The Decendants. In both films this moment signifies this mew beginning. For Marina she is now a woman and knows who she is; both her sexual and intellectual self. Seeing a total of six films at the Cosford, Attenberg is by far my favorite. The film takes the audience into a vulnerable character’s life and leaves with a well rounded sense to the character’s identity and self worth.
Although I didn’t not enjoy the movie Attenberg as I thought I would I felt that many scenes were quite amusing and the movie had a little dark edge to it although it was still very humorous. The scenes is this movie was the most bizarre and weirdest I have ever seen such as The first scene with the two girls trying to kiss each other It was almost animal like. There was also a lot of animals mention in the movie that was sort of weird. Something that also stood out to me was Marina telling her to please her father, that is something that I just could not quite understand and really made me question their relationship and their sexuality. I was really lost in the dark through out the movie but the little things how the girls sexual identity was displayed kept me quite interested and not totally given up on the movie. Some things that I didn’t not like were how the movie was just a little too much and could be a little over the top at times. Another thing would be why don’t we learn about the guy that marina kisses, we honestly don’t get much information about him. There was also many random scenes with the two girl walking hand and hand with those funny rain boots. Even though this movie was not my favorite was very confusing but it was most definitely interesting.
ReplyDeleteJokira Jiles- C10564851
The Kid With the Bike.
ReplyDeleteThe Dardenne brothers have done a great job with "The Kid with the Bike." This movie could have gone two ways, one being overly sappy with the usual endings, that the boy (Cyril) returns to his father and all is well. Although the film did have a happy ending, it played out a different way, with the boy finding a home with the town hairdresser. The acting of both the young boy and the hairdresser was always well thought out. The boy really pulled at your heart strings, as you saw how his character was trying very hard to keep it together, but had moments where he just had to be a young child and explode. The story was very touching and I had a hard time trying to imagine that this father would not do everything in his power to keep his son, who so obviously adored him. The filming was excellent with many close up shots, so you could really see the pain and joy in the face of the actors. I always love shots on location in France, it's almost as though you need no other backdrop.
Attenberg
ReplyDeleteI thought “Attenberg” was a very interesting movie. It seemed to me that Marina was trying to understand human interactions the same way her hero, Sir David Attenborough, tried to understand animal behaviors. I really liked this motif throughout the movie of people just being animals; the way Marina play-acts various animals with Bella and her father seems to emphasize this lack of division in her mind between people and animals. She simply does not understand how either of them interacts, and, while she has Sir David Attenborough’s documentaries to understand animals, she has to be her own “Attenberg” and investigate humans herself. The film also brought up an interesting problem in Spyros’ regret about the world he is giving his daughter. His speech about how they tried to turn Greece into an industrial country without understanding what they were doing and how Marina’s generation has inherited the consequences without any preparation for solving them was very insightful and brought up an important question about the modern world, what it was, and where it goes.
My biggest problem with the movie, however, was that it seemed to end abruptly. I felt like Marina’s story was not done yet when it ended; sure, her father was dead and she spread his ashes, but we were never shown any evidence that she has really grown or understands everything. For instance, the audience does not necessarily need to know where her relationship with the man from out of town goes, but we do need to know how she now thinks of that relationship in order to know if she has actually grown during the film. However, perhaps this was the filmmaker’s intention: to leave Marina’s future up in the air while showing the industrial site to emphasize the uncertainty of Greece’s future.
John David Agliano
C05580571
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletethe kid with a bike
ReplyDeleteThe kid with a bike is a drama about Cyril, 12-year-old boy living Belgium who is abandoned by his father and has lost his bike. Cyril escapes the foster home to go find his father but he acknowledges that he has really abandoned him and so Cyril goes to a doctor’s office nearby where he meets a woman called Samantha. This woman buys Cyril a bike and he goes to live with her certain days. With her help, Cyril tracks down his father but his father does not want Cyril. He is so broken hearted and gets involved with a dealer who makes him steal. This movie is full of feeling and is empathetic, but its plot is also pretty simple to understand and not much happens during the middle of the movie. You get to see and experience the suffering and deception felt by a little boy who is rejected by his father. We can see how the bike he so frenetically wanted to find meant for him the last hope of ever being with his father, a little piece of their relationship. It is inspiring and I also found it really kind and heartwarming of the hairdresser to open her heart and her home to this little unknown kid. Samantha gives up so many different things for this boy, starting of her time, her lover, her space. What I also found interesting is the fact that Samantha is no saint herself. She also needs someone to love her and care for her and I guess this is one of the reasons she opens her heart to him. Nevertheless, I never really understood the real reasons behind this decision. Maybe she lost a child or her parents did not want her when she was a small child, but this is something that we will never know because it is left ambiguous to the audience. This movie is very realistic and so I feel that parents need to think twice before having a children and then abandoning them because they are humans with feelings and experimenting a bad childhood may lead to a bad adulthood were they could become criminals. But overall I liked the movie. I also found really sweet and amazing how a boy so young can be such a good actor as shown in this movie.
Marc Pollack
ReplyDeleteC10553848
Throughout the many different experiences that are offered through the Cosford Theatre, on of the most interesting movies that I have seen, is called “The Kid with a Bike”. If I had to describe this movie to someone, I would have to say that it is like being on an emotional roller coaster that completely falls off the rails but at the last second, reattaches itself. At least, that is how I felt. One of the most interesting scenes for me was when Cyril was struck with the rock. As strange as it may sound, seeing Cyril motionless on the ground brought me to a state of panic (to a point). It was beyond strange seeing how Cyril was always running or riding his bike, always in motion, then to see his body just laying there, it was by far one of the greatest individual scenes that I have seen recently. The directors, Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, truly did a magnificent job of setting up that scene, as well as the struggle between Cyril and Samantha. At first, the two connected by chance at a doctors’ office but that chance encounter, blossomed into a life changing relationship for Cyril. He finally saw that even after he screwed up, someone was still there for him; someone, Samantha cares for him, even if he messes up. It was very interesting to see Cyril realize that he doesn’t have to run or fight the people who care, he just has to let them love and care for him. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this movie to anyone who wants a heartfelt emotion-twisting movie.
Marc Pollack
ReplyDeleteC10553848
Attenberg
Throughout this semesters’ Survey of Motion Pictures class, out of all of the films that we have watched, the one so far that has interested me the most has been “Attenberg”. This movie was both jaw dropping and thought provoking. Personally, it wasn’t like any movie I have seen. While it is funny at times, the overall sense of the movie, at least in my eyes, is dramatic. The main character, Marina, is an extremely awkward young woman who lacks the knowledge that is required to merge with the rest of society. This is a sad truth at times but with this, comes the willingness to learn and explore what makes people meld together, not just in a social term but in a sexual nature as well. Personally, knowing that this was a film that was staged in Greece, it was almost confusing to see how the cultural attitude of the film, differentiated from the cultural attitude that the people of Greece are accustomed to. The main character, Marina, has a very interesting name in the sense that in a ‘Marina’ there are many different types of people, animals, boats and exotic life, a collage of learning all put right in front of you when you think of a marina. Marina is very much like the inanimate form of the word marina in the sense that she is learning and experiencing everything that is new around her, this is what makes the movie worth while for me; we see her grow and evolve. Overall, this movie, as quirky as it was, was worth seeing and I would definitely recommend it.
Hiram Aparicio
ReplyDeleteC06979667
Attenberg
'Attenberg' portrays the mindset of a girl who seems to have social problems. This girl seems to have a very dethatched form of viewing the world. Her manner of interacting with people resembles that of a scientist making observations of the world around him. For example, at one point in the movie, she asks her father if he ever imagines her naked. Her father immediately insists that he has not, and suggests that fathers "repress" that sort of thing". At this point the movie delves into the psyche of the human form, demonstrating the unnatural aspect that social conventions my assume, and hinting at an underlying animalistic nature which resides in the confines of our brains.
This same animalistic nature is manifest quite clearly in the way in which the main character will make pretend she is a beast. At one point she does this with her best friend and at another point she repeats this same action with her father. It is apparent in the sound's variation and intensity that the director chose to have these scenes exemplify the natural ferocity and wild passion that drives humans in their actions. But as we is evident in the remainder of the movie, we are often forced by society to repress these roles.
Attenberg
ReplyDeleteAttenberg met my expectations of being an "interesting" movie. The main character, Marina, was such a strange girl. I understand that everyone is unique, but I could not wrap my mind around how or why she did not know how to interact with other people. Was it because she was kept away from people her whole life? It seemed like she could not relate to anyone but her best friend, her father, and animals. When Marina wasn't exploring her sexuality with Bella and that random guy, she was with her dad. I was shocked that he was okay with her being so weird. She actually told him that she pictured him naked. That was disturbing.
I liked the dance scenes with Bella and Marina. It was random, but amusing. I could not get over the end of the movie when Marina asked Bella to have sex with her dying father. I was blown away! The fact that Bella actually did it was even more disturbing. The thought of someone actually doing anything sexual to a dying person is just plain wrong. I felt bad for Marina because her dad was the only person that she had. I can't imagine how she would function without him. She still had Bella, but having only one friend and no parents or anyone else who understood her would have been tough. Marina was still trying to figure how to interact with people and her father died too soon. He left her to deal with all of those things on her own. Overall, the movie was unique. I'm not sure if I would recommend others to see it.
Attenberg - Jeff Kaminski C09409163
ReplyDeleteThis was one strange movie. The opening is quite strange with the "kissing" scene between Marina and her friend. Maybe it is because this is a part of the new age weird greek cinema hitting the scene, but I must say I am not a fan. I have perhaps been too spoiled by traditional american blockbusters. Something that I was not a fan of was that the movie was relatively quiet, with not much talking in my opinion. Even when speaking, not much was accomplished each time. Everything in the movie was too plain for me. The mis-en-scene and colors used in the film do not portray Greece as a very hospitable place, even though this takes place in an industrial area.
An example of how awkward and silent the movie can be is when Marina is getting with some guy in a room. She decides to disrobe immediately as if she was a prostitute that was hired. She just stands there awkwardly waiting for her guy friend to do something. This is strange because the guy just sits there and is clearly surprised, but does not show it which is too weird for me. He then puts her clothes on. This entire time, nothing is said. Not a single peep. Then the scene just ends.
I believe that watching this with english subtitles probably does not do the movie justice. However, despite the subtitles, I am still not a fan. The subject material was too strange, and the movie itself did not interest me. I often found myself struggling to stay awake during the film as it was too slow moving, and nothing about it gained my interest. Even the strange scenes did not peak my interest as I just sat in my seat wondering why I was sitting through this movie.
Attenberg
ReplyDeleteThe movie Attenberg is interesting and weird at the same time. The movie takes place in Greece. The main character, Marina, is awkward and naive throughout the entire movie. The movie begins with her best friend Bella teaching her how to kiss someone. It is a very awkward scene to watch given the private nature of the subject. The awkwardness continues when Marina asks her father if he fantasizes about her. It is a taboo topic in our culture, which makes it hard for the audience to watch. Marina proves to be very inexperienced and uncomfortable in sexual activity when she develops a relationship with a guy.
Another key component of this film is the reference and symbolism of wildlife documentaries of Sir David Attenborough. Multiple times throughout the movie Marina, Bella, or her dad engage in animalistic behaviors. In my opinion, they’re trying to show the true nature of humans that are held back by societal norms. Also, animal life videos are shown in the movie, like the movie Marina and her dad watch in the bedroom. A very interesting component is Marina and Bella’s coordinated walking/dancing outside the building. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this film because it was very different from typical films I watch.
The Kid with a Bike
ReplyDeleteThe film, The Kid with a Bike, is a good movie directed by brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. The movie takes place in Belgium, where a young boy Cyril turns to a woman Samantha for support and comfort after his father abandoned in him. The movie focuses on the connections made when people are alone or on the outside. In the end, The Kid with a Bike is a very heartwarming film that made it easy to take in. A key component of the movie is the relationship between Cyril and Samantha. Their relationship grows throughout the movie through the difficulties and successes that they face.
Part of the reason why I think this is a brilliant foreign film is the fact it appeals to people and is very relatable. An important lesson is that sometimes the truth hurts. The truth that Cyril’s dad did in fact abandon in him and sold his bike was heartbreaking. Overall, I like the themes and real life applications that the Kid with a Bike portrays. Sometimes I feel it is harder for me to relate well to foreign films, however this movie shattered that perception. I really enjoyed watching this movie and would definitely recommend it to other people.
Attenberg
ReplyDeleteTo say that this film was unconventional would be an understatement. The protagonist, Marina, is a 23 year old virgin who spends her time watching nature documentaries. She avoids spending time with human beings, preferring instead to observe nature, this is similar to how we, the audience, are observing her.
I was not really sure what to make of this film. Although I understood that it was a coming of age story, the movie as a whole was rather strange and twisted. Marina's exploration of her sexuality with the help of her friend Belle, while also taking care of her sick father, made the film unlike any other.
I was not a huge fan of this movie, it was perhaps too out there for me. While I understood that the film was trying to break traditional norms and break away from social establishment, it was a little too different for me.
C06517157
The Kid With A Bike
ReplyDeleteI went into this movie thinking I would get a traditional up and down then back up agin emotional roller coaster. What I got was more like a roller coaster with at least six flips, and four sharp turns. The constant struggle between Cyril and Samantha, and the constant actions of Cyril always moving on the bike or running, keep the movie in motion figuratively and literally. Overall I was very impressed by the quality of this foreign film, the heart warming story, and Cyril searching for his true identity through the bike was really touching and kept me very engaged throughout the film. Not only did this movie entertain, but exceeded my expectations.
The Kid with a Bike
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this movie and thought the boy actor did a great job in a debut role, but overall I found the story highly implausible. That may stem from my own cynicism, but I don’t really believe that a random occurrence such as the one the boy had could lead to this bond that is more meaningful than any other one this kid has had in his life. This boy is rude, temperamental, and even abusive. I tried to put myself in the woman’s perspective of trying to reach out, but I had the last straw when boy harmed her. All I could think was “punk kid.” With that said, there is something to say about these portrayals that evoked such emotion in me. There were moments where I did feel sympathy and compassion for the kid. It’s hard to see that kid of character because it is so realistic. There are many kids like this boy who have been abandoned, and without the love and care of someone bad things happen to these children. It’s all too familiar, and I could connect with that. I applaud anyone who unselfishly takes a child into his or her life, and I felt the character of women was someone who exemplified the true essence of altruism. Even though I watched this film without my suspension of disbelief, I thought it was good story. It’s a good message that kindness and love can from anywhere, and it’s not easy to form a caring relationship for anyone. Every good life requires meaningful relationships with people who care about each other.
The Kid With a Bike
ReplyDeleteThe Kid With a Bike is the latest project from Belgian filmmakers, the Dardenne brothers. Released in 2011, it stars Thomas Doret as a young foster child who copes with his father’s recent abandonment. The film tempts us to think Doret’s character, Cyril, causes trouble without reason but the more we see of him, the more we sympathize. Cecile de France plays the role of Samantha, a hairstylist who meets Cyril and agrees to foster him on weekends. Elements of unconditional love surface alongside themes of juvenile delinquency and mistrust, seamlessly bringing the film to life.
The trailer for “Kid” caught my attention the very first time I watched it. I really enjoy young leads, especially in foreign films, and something felt right about it. I especially appreciated the opening, when Cyril tries to reach his father by phone and instead runs away from school. The Dardenne brothers never try to coat his antics or disguise his drive. We never have a private establishing moment with Cyril, but watching his interaction and the confidence with which he speaks about his father feel so human, so innocent and sincere. His reaching the apartment building and facing disappointment ignited a maternal instinct that I didn’t even know I’d already developed. Seeing him embrace Samantha, a total stranger, with so much faith exposes the vulnerability we already anticipate. The way she doesn’t shove him off or ask him to let go beautifully sets the stage for the story that follows.
It goes without saying that I recommend The Kid With a Bike to any and all filmgoers. Cyril and Samantha’s relationship arouses comfort and thankfulness that all it takes is faith and an open heart to change an otherwise hopeless person’s life. The Dardenne brothers pair bits of witty humor with heartfelt drama and unbreakable devotion. They let viewers feel anything and everything they could possibly feel all at once and that’s seldom done properly in today’s industry.
The Kid with a Bike shows the story of an orphan - Cyril, who abandoned by his father and escape from the orphan house as he wants to find his father. During the process, Cyril met Samantha the hair dresser, who was extremely helpful to Cyril, Samantha breaks up with his boyfriend in order to help Cyril, who is an outrageous boy and misbehave all the time. However as more I watched the film, I find that Cyril's misbehaviors are only out of his longing to approach his father, who screwed his own life and can't afford (both financially and emotionally) to raise Cyril. The movie triggers my sympathy as the boy finds his father after great efforts, thought they can be happy forever, however only be treated as a burden as his father avoids him and refuses to be responsible to him.
ReplyDeleteThe movie is very touching in the way that people - both the child (Cyril) and the adult (Cyril's father) can be so vulnerable. And also how some people can be so altruism like Samantha, who helps others by willing to sacrifice her won love.
The Kid with a Bike
ReplyDeleteThe plot turned out to almost be the complete opposite of what I expected the movie to be when watching the trailer. The movie was somewhat saddening actually. It starts out with an Orphan named Cyril who abondons the orphanage one day in search of his long lost father and bike. Before being caught by the caretakers in a doctors office, he meets this women named Samantha who he holds onto in fear of going back to the orphanage. The women actually finds Cyrils bike and gives it to him the next day. Trying to stay optimistic after hearing the bike was found in the projects, Cyril believes that bike was stolen from his dad. Cyril takes his bike and finally meets up with his father who unexpectedly tells Cyril to never come back and seems very disturbed and upset to be found. After the rejection of his dad, he returns to Samantha for help since he doesn’t really have anyone left to go to. He ends up joining a gang which forces Cryil to steal from a newsstand owner. Cyril takes the money that he gets from stealing and tries once again to see his dad and bring the money to him with hopes that his dad will accept him this time but doesn’t. The movie ends with the son who Cyril robbed getting revenge on him. After Cyril is hurt, he finally wakes up and starts walking away deciding that he should move on to a new chapter of his life. This movie has a pretty depressing mood to it because of the theme of rejection by a family member. I felt extremely bad for Cyril and couldn’t imagine going through what he went through.
Attenberg
DeleteWhen I saw the trailer of Attenberg, I thought it was very weird and felt clueless about what the movie is about. But when I see the movie in the theatre I think that this film does make sense as the heroine, Marina has a unique childhood as she watched nature channel and herself always avoid encounter with others. She loathes humanity as a whole, all she do is learning animals behaviors as if she is not even a human. She does not develop the sexual desire as well. The first time she has sex with a man was only due to her thought that she need to do something all human beings do.
But on the other hand, Marina also eagers to fit into the human society, because she tried to do what human are supposed to do (learnt how to do French kiss from her best and only friend). In the end she even asks her friend to have sex with her father, who is about to die. It shows Marina's love to her father and her strange outlook on interpersonal/sexual relationship - it is more like she sees sex as a tool to satisfy others and disregard the taboos in the human society. But I think the actress Ariane Labed had a great performance that she shows Marina's struggle between her ideology and the human social display rules.
Feng Yang
ReplyDeleteC06087996
THE KID WITH A BIKE
We were told at the very beginning that the kid’s father did not want to take care of him, and it ended the storyline. The directors tried to go over the emotional changes afterwards with their audiences, and they succeeded.
There were only four times that background music has been edited to the movie which I found pretty interesting. First time it was the very beginning where movie started. Second, it was the time Cyril was first denied by his father, he cried out loud in Samantha’s arms, it was probably the first time Samantha found out that the differences between Cyril and other kids, the music to me indicated a brand start of a relationship as well as an end of another one. The thrid time they used background music was the time Cyril wanted his farther to accept the grabbed money, his father did not accept that of course. It might come from the thought for Cyril’s own good but the scene was really sad. Cyril probably thought his father did not want to live with him due to financial reasons, but when he “proved” money was not a problem, he refused to accept him again. Cyril was forced to face the truth that father did not love him. And the last scene, when the father and son were busy discussing how to avoid legal liability, Cyril left them alone. It was really ironic that a father and son relationship used to be something Cyril wanted so badly.
It is better to be with ones who love you than to chase after someone does not care about you.
A small town in Greece. Two girls. A childhood with my father grew up, a bit strange girl. She's a lot of things are learned from animal documentaries. Between her and her father are equal, and mutually supportive relationship.Although faint and do not know spade. However, each picture is beautiful, good to seethe director must also indulge in a wonderful picture, ignore the plot does not matter. Onebegins with a girl in the side of the white walls to teach a girl kiss the outset, I amstunned! ! An opening was overawed.
ReplyDeleteAll girl without a sense of people and things around for many years to indulge in favoritedocumentaries of nature in mind, not dealings with the person, hobby simulationchimpanzees body language, the comic footsteps of the inventor with your friends, and sometimes play and Dadanimals to live happy and at ease in their own little world ofarchitecture. Girl laughing slapstick, from time to time filled the atmosphere of happiness,in fact it is isolated, lonely happiness; followed by the face of a dying father to be around forever the heavy facts, but never account of how she faced the torrent of society, feel thesocial inevitability, had to force yourself to learn the characters exchange with the outside world and even intercourse, with the most unskilled mechanical physical act, and exploretheir own path of growth. Deliberately disguised outdated, away from the routine of its own way
Like many others who wrote about The Kid with a Bike, I was expecting a typical, sappy coming of age foreign film about a young boy. Instead, I was surprised with a great emotional story with endless twists and turns. Cyril, played by Thomas Doret, is a young boy who ends up in an orphanage after being abandoned by his father who he eventually goes out searching for. When he finally finds his father, Cyril is completely let down and rejected. His father is less than happy to see him and tells him to go away and never come back. This particular moment in the movie is completely heartbreaking. You cannot help but become emotionally attached to Cyril's character. Overall, the film is wonderfully done, the actors are exceptional, and the plot is easy to follow.
ReplyDeleteMichael Lerer
ReplyDeleteThe movie Attenberg might have been the strangest movie that I’ve ever seen. That being said I really enjoyed watching it. The film really showed the main character’s detachment from real life. Her detachment was caused by a few things. One was her obsession with documentaries about animals. As I watcher I felt that she had more in common with the animals she watched on TV. This belief was furthered by the fact that she often imitated animals. Another reason why she acts detached is because of the way she was raised. It is made evident throughout the movie that her father raised her with the belief that the technological advancements of society were bad. Also although they live in a religious society, her father as an atheist and his life is restricted by that in their town. This would affect the character’s connection with her community greatly. Finally the main character is detached from society because her father is her only really close friend, and he is dying.
Her detachment is shown well in a couple ways. The most obvious is her strange outings with her friend where they put on high heels and walk in a strange fashion. Another strong way it is shown is how she constantly calls her best friend a whore even though she really does like the girl. Finally it is shown in her extreme awkwardness with intimacy with her boyfriend.
Attenberg was one of those films that when I saw it, it was oddly pertinent to recent events in my life. I could relate well will Marina’s coping mechanisms with her father because recently one of my friend’s mothers was dying. What I liked about the film were the peculiar ways Marina dealt with his imminent death. In my recent experience there was mostly sulking and an overall sense of delaying the inevitable. I can surely say that we did not imitate animals when my friend’s mother was dying. I realize that this was Marina’s own way of coping and trying not to accept her father’s fate, but it was refreshing to see a person not feeling downtrodden and defeated with a person they know is going to die.
ReplyDeleteMarina’s coping mechanisms for her father’s death were a part of the film that I enjoyed, but I must say the movie as a whole was very strange. Marina and Bella’s relationship has to be one of the oddest things I have seen in a movie. At point, especially the first scene when Marina and Bella are kissing, I felt awkward simply being in the theater watching the film. After I left the film and thought about their relationship I sort of realized that the fact both of them are so awkward is probably what brought them together and made them such good friends.
The Cyrillic by the grace of a villain, on the utter sincerity. Listen to instigating people unconscious with a wooden stick, and then grab the money. The man gave him a dozen money, he will not, the man asked him why, he said, for you. Cyril riding a bicycle, run far away came to my father work place, to give money to the father. He said that he had stolen, no one knows. The father hesitated, afraid of getting himself into trouble again money to Cyril, and told him to get out of. Look at this for some time, my heart is twitching pain. Children, want to own a little weak force to back the adults to share the difficulties, even to please the adults, in order to achieve that point he deserves love. I would like to have had such experience, to see this yesterday once more, will unlimited sad.
ReplyDeleteDo not know the Dardenne brothers and two why there is so sharp and vivid expression of those details as if the road when I came. Compared to get the Palme d'Or "tree of life" such unrealistic expectations that the broad mindedness of the works, "Bicycle Youth" is the real good movies. The script is still strong, truly seamless, not spread branches but its own distant world. Dardenne brothers never to lapse into sentimentality rarely lyrical, but moved them to bring people and the impact is still so strong. Play Cyrillic small boy, so good, if his body has its own shadow, then you really can not use some adjectives to describe what the feelings of his face his body.
People need emotional, from small to large. Feelings of each stage can get this life was complete. Small, that is called the father of the adults lost, kind of want to get back and get the struggling like Daoke bearing in mind the life, as if this is the next all the time, in order to make up that had lost .
The Kid with A Bike
ReplyDeleteThe Kid with a Bike tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who turns to a woman for comfort after his father has abandoned him. At the beginning of the movie Cyril, the boy, runs away from his foster house and ends up running into this woman who he holds on to because he does not want to be taken back. The woman ends up taking him in and taking care of him but all that he cares about is finding his father. It was frustrating to see this kid reject and resist Samantha's help and care. It makes me think about my relationship with my parents and how I difficult I can be at times to be taken care of and I realize that I should not be this way.
After giving Cyril the bike, which Samantha found, he goes off to find his father. His father, however, wants nothing to do with him and tells him never to come back. This leads to Cyril joining a gang which forces him to commit crimes, like stealing from a newsstand owner. He takes this money to his father in hopes that he will take him back and take him in but this fails. The kid who Cyril hurt earlier gets revenge and injures Cyril. This leads to Cyril deciding to start a new part of his life and forget the past. This movie was very touching and I enjoyed it a lot.
Kid with a bike
ReplyDelete"Bicycle boy" tells the story of a 11-year-old boy abandoned by his father. The movie begins with a hand lens, the boy Cyril panting appears in the picture, he was looking for his discarded the father of the children's welfare homes, to retrieve his beloved bicycle. This is the life of a human state dictates, a life without reason, the Dardenne brothers also natural to dispose of this paragraph, expressed her feelings on the Cyrillic only in the later part of a plot. When her boyfriend asked her to Cyril and to make a choice between his time, Samantha finally chose the Cyrillic, which is a silent emotion, it seems no more statements.Cyril did not give up looking for his father, in his opinion it was his only rely on. When they found in the outskirts of a restaurant into the plight of the father, his father also abandoned the Cyrillic, he relentlessly refused to leave Cyrillic glimmer of hope of a better, requirements Samantha and Cyril do not come to him, otherwise he can not start a new life.
Lie between the child's world and the adult world, too many things are still not eliminated, but Cyrillic never fear, loneliness, he was still silent, but his silence is a tolerance and the power of love, because he knew someonelove her to trust her, he bid farewell to the past at this moment, began to grow up
Attenberg
ReplyDeleteMatthew Head
I'm not sure I understood Attenberg, this movie to me was much stranger than it was interesting. I understood the plot obviously but I did not take anything deeper out of it. The reason I think I could not connect with the movie was because how Marina delt with problems. I couldnt connect with her because she had noting to connect with, she was influenced heavily by society but was nothing like everyone else in society. Marina also loved her father but did not show it like a normal person. One must keep in mind that she did have to deal with her fathers imminent death. Marina is so detached from society, it is impossible to connect with her.
The Kid with a Bike is at the top of my list for the movies I have seen at the Cosford Cinema. From the time the film began, I immediately felt a connection with the young boy, Cyril, whom the movie revolves around and this connection lasted throughout the entire movie.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I believe that was key to the success of the character Cyril was the role the bike played in the film. Cyril’s dad essentially does not want anything to do with him, as he needs to focus on work and making a steady salary. Thus, it is almost as if the bike serves as the father figure for Cyril throughout the film. Although it may sound usual, Cyril often goes to his bike when he is in a time of need and feeling frustrated. Cyril to his bike is just like a teenager to a diary, it is a place for him to let out his emotions and escape the real world. Even though Cyril can be seen as living a lonely life with no real family there for him and goes through several hardships during the film, by the end of the movie it is almost as if he is part of a family. Between Samantha, the bike, and Cyril, not the usual family is created, yet it is a family for Cyril nevertheless.
When I saw Attenberg, I was caught off guard immediately with the kissing scene at the beginning of the movie. Due to scenes such as that one and others, I was uncomfortable for the entire film and I think that feeling distracted me from analyzing the film and realizing its true meaning. When I was able to repress the my feeling of oddity towards to film, I was able to understand a little bit more about the characters.
ReplyDeleteI believe one of the true beauties of the film is that Marina and Bella are able to enjoy their lives in a simplistic way and without all of the advancements in technology. Marina enjoys life from a primitive state and although it is thought by most to just be plain weird, through further analyzation, she is just living life the way she knows how to which in this case, is by acting like an animal. The film focuses on emotions and feelings and how they are conveyed by Marina and Bella. The way in which they show their feelings may seem odd, but they are just acting in ways that they have been accustomed to as a result of learning from their surroundings. Attenberg, which may seem odd to most, has a unique message and appeal.
This movie is about a boy who is left in a state run youth farm, abandoned by his father. The kid- Cyril, obsessively searches for his bicycle. The movie is very deep. Cyril places his last bit of hope in the symbol of his relationship with that of his fathers. The town hairdresser agrees to foster him on weekends, in a random act of kindness. This act surprises the hairdresser to find herself so determined to help Cyril. In this film, the Dardenne brothers explore the emotional life of an 11 year old, who searches for father figures, with his wild and unpredictable behavior. The film’s concern is raised by the behavior of the man, with fathers and sons above the education and poverty issues, compelling to a universal moral plane, which is more interesting. Finally, the Dardenne brothers afford huge dignity and strength to Cyril.
ReplyDeleteROMEO AND JULIET
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard about Romeo and Juliet being played at the Cosford, I actually got really excited about seeing this because I enjoy Shakespeare and all of the work he has done. Unfortunately, this performance did not live up to my expectations. I understand that it was a ballet and ballet operas do not have dialogue but the whole point of a Shakespeare play is the beauty that is included in his intricate dialogue. He creates elegance through his measured iambic pentameters and I personally feel that this play should not have been turned into a ballet. Without previously knowing the backstory to the play, I feel that I would have been extremely lost watching this. Besides that, the costuming and scenery that was created for this performance were extremely beautiful. The costumes were one of the main reasons why I was able to follow along with the plot line because both families were represented by different colors. Overall, the show was phenomenal and I know the actors and dancers went through a lot to get ready for it but I still think that a Shakespeare play should not be turned into a ballet or opera that doesn't include his amazing speeches or dialogue.
Alexandra Ball
C07809270
The movie started with the scene where two girls were making out. One girl is teaching the other how to kiss with their tongue, while the other girl seemed to not enjoy it very much during the process. It is a really weird and awkward scene and I did not enjoy watching it. It is strange and I felt uncomfortable watching it. The girl is strange. In her eyes, human beings are weird and annoying so she always keeps distance with others. She learned most of the stuff from the songs from a band name Suicide and her best friend who was teaching her kissing at the beginning. I guess what the movie really trying to tell us is that human being doesn’t really have much social difference, what they have is many actions that were alike to animals. This was resulted from the non-formal education system nowadays, which lead to the extreme personality in the film. It also proved how people could have so many different forms under different environment. This is a film I rather not watch it again, not my type.
ReplyDeleteThe Kid with a Bike
ReplyDeleteNate Jennings
Although “The Kid With a Bike” seemed like one of the more simple films I’ve seen, it had a very powerful message and meaning. It was a portrayal of a poor young boy named “Cyril” that was completely ignored by his biological father. The relevance of the Bike within the story had symbolism of being the only connection with his dad, since it was the only material possession he had remaining that his father gave him. Throughout the film, the young boy was constantly very stubborn to everyone in his life, and clearly didn’t care about anything else besides living with his father again. However, their was another important relationship between him and Samantha who constantly showed affection and care for the boy but he never accepted it as a replacement to his father’s. He always went back to his Dad to gain his approval, but even when he came back from money that he stole, the boy was rejected. In this perspective, the film did an exceptional job with adding to the atmosphere of the disappointment in Cyril by adding very heartbreaking music and including obvious-looking sad gestures. Cyril also comes off as being very calm and relaxed whenever he rides his bike most likely because it reminds him when he was with his father. His father simply didn’t want him back because he was afraid of commitment and responsibility to raise a child.
The Kid with a bike
ReplyDeleteThe boy who is not cared by his father, Cyril loves his father so much. So he stole money for his father and did many bad things which made his father disappointed with him. Since he is very poor boy, he rarely change the clothes and this shows his behaviors and expressions well.
Samantha, who loves Cyril unconditionally, always helps him in lots of ways. And I think it is really great thing that her giving up boyfriend things because of Cyril. She regards him as the boy who needs cares and loves. Therefore, I was very moved by her decision and respect her. When he needs her, she was always be with him.
Also, I like the music in the movie. The music was well matched in every scene. So I could concentrate on the film more. There were many sad scenes in the movie. Especially when Cyril went to police, he changed his clothes and became no longer rude regretting his past misbehaviors.
Attenberg features a young woman in her 20’s who is completely bizarre. It would seem as if she’s been locked up her entire life and only recently exposed to other people and society.
ReplyDeleteThe film opens with this girl Marina kissing her best friend Bella so that Marina can see how it feels. The clumsy fashion they go about it makes it only seem ridiculous and cannot be taken seriously. The film follows Marina as she deals with the impending death of her father from some fatal illness and her maturation as a person. It is interesting because Marina watches numerous documentaries of animals by David Attenborough and that is exactly what we as an audience get; a documentary on a peculiar individual. But the films lack substance, a great portion of the film is Marina making animal noises and pretending to be an animal as well as Marina and Bella walking down the same concrete path doing odd dance/animal moves. There is also Marinas attempted relationship with a man which is also very unorthodox and odd.
All in all it just seemed to me like the film was a documentary of a socially awkward 20 something year old female who didn’t know how to handle life without the impending loss of her father and her attempts to become a part of society.
kid with a bike
ReplyDeleteThe children that be abandoned is very obsession with his family, in this film,11 years old Cyril also tried to find him in the center of the welfare lost father, but father's forsake him is like to lose his bicycle, perhaps in the father's heart, and he just negative tired as bikes, because at least can also be sold for profit bike with solution of financial difficulty.Had this painful experience of children, the heart of the stranger it is difficult to assess wounds, they tend to become silent anger rebel, and relatively mature, sometimes also can appear too paranoid to rub along confirming that he abandoned, the child may also committing, such as the father let Cyril understand him in the economic situation is not good for the father, just after a pack, and the camera from the left to the Cyril face, the mood of the last float on his cheeks, and then he takes up his TouLian travelers have the Jane city of waiting for desperate and just buried in their graves, this is child hate his own performance, they think that everything is now suffer from himself is not good.
in my opinion, I think parents should spend more time with his children and make it feel not lonely
ATTENBERG
ReplyDeleteThis movie is very typical of sex-themed foreign films. Marina, a 23 year old girl who doesn't connect well with others, has no sexual experience, save for what her girl friend (Bella) has taught her. She has her first sexual experience with a man passing through her small sea-side town.
Marina is also grieving over her terminally-ill father. It appears that she can not imagine life on her own without her father. She asks Bella to sleep with her father at the end, as a favor before he dies.
This film had some intimate episodes between characters, but was a little dry. I did appreciate the romanticism of the greek language, though.