The Kid with a Bike

Standout performance from the 12 year old actor in this film. Essentially, a story of a boy dealing with the rejection of his father, the film spends a lot of time simply following and observing him and it is his performance that helps to make you care about a difficult child who spends a large portion of the film rejecting and lashing out at those who try to help him. His eyes convey much of the anger and emotion that his character goes through. With very little music, and an almost documentary style, the film never feels like it is trying to manipulate the audience's emotions.

The original title of the film is Le gamin au vélo.