Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have captured the attention of the international film community numerous times this past decade. Working as a cowriter/codirector team, they have been awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival twice: in 1999, for Rosetta, and in 2005, for The Child. This retrospective offers viewers a chance to see the four works that have built their reputation since the widely acclaimed La promesse (1997), as well as two rarely screened early features, Falsch (1987) and Je pense à vous (1992), in prints imported from Europe. The Dardennes' cinema is distinguished by its powerful storytelling: plots hinge on characters' moral choices; portraits of society's less fortunate souls are performed with great authenticity; and seemingly routine moments of daily life are presented with a sense of dramatic urgency. Suspense is often heightened through dynamic use of a handheld camera, relying extensively on close-ups-the camera literally stalks the characters' movements. The films are anchored in commonplace settings (the workplace, low-income housing, nondescript urban roadways). The strength of the Dardennes' style is found in the rigor of their cinematic expression; their consummate ability to tell a dramatic, sometimes shocking story with an economy of means makes an eloquent match to tales that address tremendous personal loss.
