'L'Enfant,' like its main character, grows on audiences

Bruno is the kind of guy who, while his girlfriend Sonia is in the hospital having their baby, will sublet her apartment. Upon her release, Sonia will know where to look for him — under a bridge, in a nook where he stores stolen goods and meets up with the teenage boys who abet his crimes. He's wearing a sharp new motorcycle jacket, bought with cash a first-time father might have put to better use.

Sony Pictures Classics 'L'Enfant' 4 out of 5 stars Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne Starring: Jérémie Renier, Déborah François, Olivier Gourmet, Fabrizio Rongione, Jeremie Segard Run time: 95 minutes Release date: March 24, 2006 Rating: Not rated. Language: In French with English subtitles. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate 'L'Enfant'   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

Did I mention he's a litterbug?

If there weren't a newborn onscreen, viewers might interpret this film's title as a reference to Bruno (Jérémie Renier), who is incapable of balancing others' needs against his own whims. He's thoroughly unlikable, and is about to do something so loathsome that even Sonia (Déborah François) will turn on him: As soon as her back is turned, Bruno casually arranges to sell the baby on the black market for adoption.

Although one runs the risk of making "L'Enfant" (The Child) sound emotionally simplistic — it isn't — by saying so, the fallout of Bruno's act is the heart of the film, offering him a choice between fleeing and facing the consequences. When Sonia (surprise!) refuses to take the kidnapping in stride, he gets the baby back at great cost, then spends the rest of the film trying to fix the mess he's made.

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the Belgian brothers who wrote and directed the film, treat Bruno like a documentary subject — a man whose character and circumstances, so foreign to us, are observed so closely that we must either leave our seats or learn to sympathize with him to some extent. (They've also made another remarkable discovery: a baby who never cries, even when snatched from its mother's arms and sold to strangers.)

With no music, sparse dialogue and naturalistic acting, "L'Enfant" will test the patience of many viewers. But the pace does pick up midway through, as an ill-considered theft leads to a tense chase. It's the closest thing the film offers to action, but it doubles as a fork in the road Bruno is on: He can remain an infant or face up to things like an adult. Viewers may be surprised how much they care which he does.