There’s a new reason to be excited about Cannes 2010. French production company Wild Bunch (responsible for producing “Che” and “Whatever Works”) will be shopping around the new project by the two-time Golden Palm-winning Dardenne brothers. Set to lens this summer with an eye for the 2011 Cannes Festival, the Belgian siblings have nabbed Cecile de France (who will appear next in Clint Eastwood’s upcoming “Hereafter”) to play the female lead.The as-of-yet untitled film involves a young boy that is abandoned by his father and placed in the care of de France’s oblivious and incapable character.
Known for their naturalistic and stark portraits of society, the plot of the new film sounds right at home in their body of work. An interesting note is that this will be the first time the brothers follow a child protagonist, the closest they have ever come were the teen characters in “The Promise” (Jeremie Renier) and “The Son” (Morgan Marinne). Maybe the inclusion of a child will unearth some sentimentality not usually found in their films, or maybe it will be just as intense and gritty, simply following a younger character. Their films also usually include a variety of non-actors, first time actors, and Dardenne regulars, so the inclusion of actress de France is an unusual choice. A well-trained and somewhat well-known actor might add a new depth to their film and will likely attract new viewers who fell in love with the actress in “High Tension” or were impressed by her journalist character in “Hereafter.” Does this inclusion of an actress with a resume and a child mark a new direction for the Dardennes, with more surprises to come? Or is this writer just thinking into it too much? Most likely.
There doesn’t seem to be money in place yet, but they will most likely be able to shoot as planned. Though their films aren’t cash-cows (they tend to make $4-5 million worldwide, making the budget back along with a little extra for the wallet), they’re usually critical hits, garnering various festival awards. They’re the one of the only filmmakers to have won the top prize at Cannes twice (for “Rosetta” and “The Child,” the latter which made our Best of 2006 list) and are insanely consistent, (we loved their last film “Lorna’s Silence” and implore you to check it out on DVD). They are also highly influential, with critical darling “Ballast” and savior-of-Mickey Rourke “The Wrestler” owing much of their look to a shooting style that the Dardennes mastered in “The Promise” and have continued to use since.
There’s much love for the brothers everywhere, especially at the Cannes Film Festival, and we seriously doubt they will have any trouble securing the funds for their new film, especially with their most well-established talent yet.