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The Promise

La promesse

1996

Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Jérémie Rénier, Olivier Gourmet, Assita Ouédraogo, Frederic Bodson ...

7.3

1,788

Drama Hailed by many critics as one of the top ten films of the year, The Promise is the extraordinary story of a boy's ascendance to grace. Under the conscienceless guidance of his father (Olivier Gourmet as Roger), fifteen-year old Igor appears destined to a life of petty crime. All changes, however, when Igor delivers an uncompromising promise to Hamidou - an immigrant who while working illegally for Roger accidentally falls to his death. ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Stephen Holden The New York Times	"The movie's portrayal of racist xenophobia is all the more disturbing for its matter-of-factness."	POS
United Kingdom	Time Out	"The performances are superb, the interplay between father and son extraordinarily well observed, and the whole thing at once wholly unsentimental and deeply moving."	POS
United States	Chuck Bowen Slant	"It’s not just a great movie, but a bold statement of aesthetic intention, a promise the Dardennes, two of the finest filmmakers working today, have already fulfilled (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle	"'La Promesse' is a penetrating coming-of-age story, one that argues that adulthood begins with the emergence of moral convictions (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"	POS

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