Described as a breath of fresh air by the Belgium film industry
following two ‘serious’ short films, one about the drug scene in Antwerp and
another about football hooliganism Robin Pront has directed and written his
first feature film. Set in Antwerp The
Ardennes (2015) is a chilling piece of cinema. The movie is a study of
man’s brutality seen through the actions of two brothers and their associates.
After a robbery that went wrong Kenny (Kevin Jassens) receives a prison
sentence but his brother Dave (Jeroen Perceval) was never caught. Released from
prison after serving four years Kenny finds that things in the outside world
have changed. Dave has kept to the straight and narrow, found him self a
permanent job cleaning cars and wants to settle down with his girlfriend Sylvie
(Veerle Baetens) who is pregnant with their first child. But the problem is Sylvie
was originally Kenny’s girlfriend before he went into prison and he wants to
pick up where he left off but has no idea about her relationship with his
brother. Kenny is a jealous man who solves problems with violence, a man that
can snap without notice, and he suspects that Sylvie is having an affair with
someone but has no idea who. Both Dave and Sylvie are scared to tell the
ultraviolent brother about their plans for the future.
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| Kevin Jassens and Veele Baetens. |
The film gradually turns darker and bloodier following a chain of events
that underlines how Kenny’s uncontrollable temper and paranoia drives his
‘insanity’ into even more ultra violent conclusions which affects everyone with
in his sphere. This Cain and Abel story
packs a really powerful punch and brings to mind another dynamically violent
Belgium movie debut Michael Roskams Rundskop
(Bullhead) 2011 which also featured Jeroen
Perceval. A great movie, well-photographed
and produced but might not appeal to everyone as the violence can be quite
gross at times.
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