The Ardennes

This Belgian crime drama opens with a home invasion gone wrong that lands the volatile, violent Kenny (Kevin Janssens) in prison while his younger brother Dave (Jeroen Perceval) and Kenny's girlfriend Sylvie (Veerle Baetens) barely escape. Released four years later, Kenny slips back into alpha mode but everyone else has changed. Sylvie left Kenny and she and Dave are sober and have gone straight. What Kenny doesn't know is that Sylvie is pregnant with Dave's child and Dave is determined to keep that relationship secret until Kenny settles, waiting for the "right moment." That moment, of course, never comes, as Kenny's temper stirs things up and pulls Dave into another criminal scheme: getting rid of a dead body in the trunk. While it's clear from the first few minutes after Kenny's release that things will not end well, this turns out to be an understatement. A mix of grim crime thriller, dysfunctional family drama, and social portrait of life on the lowest rungs of survival, this is a simple film with a fatalistic attitude built around a violent, impulsive bully who sows chaos in every situation. But if its portrait of out-of-control criminal lowlifes seems familiar, it's also quite effective, thanks to the commitment of the actors and the tense direction by Robin Pront, who populates the film with offbeat touches (including an ostrich attack!). Belgium's official entry for the Academy Awards, this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)