The Kid with a Bike (Le gamin au vélo) is a 2011 film from Belgium directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
Cyril Catoul is a 12-year-old boy who lives in an orphanage in Liege (so, the Francophone part of Belgium). He actually has a father living, but Guy Catoul has abandoned his son. Cyril, deep in denial about this, is continually trying to contact his father. As the film opens, Cyril is trying to call his father on the phone, but the number has been disconnected.
Cyril, who is filled with behavorial problems and anger management issues because of his father, escapes from the orphanage and makes it back to the apartment he and his father used to live in, only to discover that his dad left without a forwarding address, and sold Cyril's bicycle to boot. He's tracked down by the people from the orphanage, and as they're trying to drag him away, he grabs a bystander, a young woman named Samantha. Samantha takes pity on the boy, and agrees to foster Cyril on the weekends. But Cyril still hopes against hope to reconnect with his dad.
Tropes:
- Call-Back: Cyril's determination in climbing a tree to chase down the larger boy who stole his bike is what inspires Wes to induct Cyril into his gang. At the end, Cyril climbs that same tree when he is fleeing from the newsstand owner's very angry son.
- Delinquents: Wes, The Fagin in his early 20s, runs a small gang of teenaged criminals. He drills Cyril on a plan to assault and rob the newsstand owner.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- The first scenes of Cyril in the orphanage, screaming that he wants to call his father, hanging onto the phone like grim death, and physically resisting the staff member, tells the audience everything about his situation.
- Cyril, running from the orphanage people, barrels into the medical clinic and clutches onto the first person he sees, who happens to be Samantha. Her response—"You can hold me, but not so tight"—establishes her as a compassionate and empathetic person.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Wes, a drug dealer and criminal who trains Cyril on how to be a mugger, also is the caretaker for his elderly and infirm grandmother.
- The Fagin: Wes, who looks to be about ten years older than Cyril and runs his own little gang of juvenile hoodlums. He trains Cyril in how to be a criminal, practicing how to ambush the young man delivering papers from the corner news stand.
- In Medias Res: The film has no story-establishing moments but hits the ground running, with a scene of Cyril, in the orphanage, violently insisting on using the phone to call his father, even though the staff member tells him the number no longer works.
- Jitter Cam: A POV Jitter Cam used in the opening scenes when Cyril tries to run away from the orphanage.
- Missing Mom: No mention of Cyril's mother but she is plainly not in the picture.
- Oddball in the Series: Just about the only film by the Dardenne brothers with a musical score.
- Off-into-the-Distance Ending: The newsstand owner and his son are wondering what the hell to do about apparently dead Cyril when he regains consciousness, gets on his bike, and pedals away.
- Orphan's Ordeal: Cyril is effectively an orphan after his father has abandoned him. He has to struggle to break loose from his rage and aggression and accept Samantha's love, while he is also drawn to Wes, who wants to start him on a life of crime.
- The Oner: Several long takes in the film. The scene where Cyril finds his father in the restaurant, and tries to bond with him while Guy shows obvious indifference, runs for four minutes without a cut.
- Parental Abandonment: Guy has abandoned his son completely. He did his best to disappear and cover his tracks, but Cyril still manages to track him down by finding a "for sale" ad that Guy posted. When they finally do meet Guy tells Cyril and Samantha flatly that he wants to start over, will not take care of Cyril, and doesn't want Cyril to contact him.
- Parental Substitute: Samantha, the hairdresser who takes Cyril in as a foster mother and gives him the love he desperately needs.
- Self-Harm: After Guy refuses to see his son and Cyril has to finally admit to himself that his father doesn't want him, Cyril slams his head on the passenger door of Samantha's car and claws at his own face. He has ugly cuts on his face for the rest of the film.
