The Promise

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The Promise

1996,

1h 34m,

Drama

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Watchlist

95%

19 Reviews

Tomatometer

91%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Roger (Olivier Gourmet) uses his 15-year-old son, Igor (Jérémie Renier), to help traffic, house and ruthlessly exploit illegal immigrants in Belgium. When African immigrant Amidou (Rasmane Ouedraogo) tumbles from a scaffold, Igor finds him before he dies and promises that he will take care of his wife and baby. Forced by his father to cover up the death, Igor struggles to choose between loyalty to his unsavory parent and keeping the promise that he made to the dying man.

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Feb 21, 2001

4.5/5

A penetrating coming-of-age story, one that argues that adulthood begins with the emergence of moral convictions.

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Jeff Millar

Houston Chronicle

Feb 21, 2001

The film is entirely within the caught-on-the-run tradition of cinema verite, which makes it all the grittier and its conclusion all the more wrenching.

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Stanley Kauffmann

The New Republic

Feb 21, 2001

The Dardenne brothers, as shown by their empathic casting, their very choice of theme, have confessed to a burden. They believe in hope.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Apr 4, 2023

[An] unvarnished narrative gut-punch...

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Amber Wilkinson

Eye for Film

Jan 13, 2013

4/5

The Dardennes' film is unfussy and the revelations small but that is why it is so affecting.

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Christopher Long

Movie Metropolis

Aug 21, 2012

9/10

(The Dardennes') "first" film has attained a special place in the hearts of critics and other viewers. Its reputation has not been exaggerated in the least.

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Han W

Jan 24, 2019

It looks like there is no enough magic powder on this planet to protect us from all the evil around, although sometimes a promise, can do way more. Another thing I cannot have enough apparently is the naturalism / realism of the Dardennes brothers. This is the third film I am watching and the third I liked. Not many left, but there is no stopping me now!

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Ron R

Jul 6, 2017

A compassionate and honest work of art about the hard adolescent realization that your parents are simply flawed (sometimes outright immoral) people like everyone else. Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne did an impeccable job. This is a film brimming with empathy and humanity.

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Leia L

May 18, 2017

This is a kind of a serious movie exposing the rotten white society that should feel guilt towards poor and honest illegal immigrants from the glorious lands of Africa. "All white people want my baby to die", says the main innocent illegal immigrant who came to this bad white Europe from happy Africa to teach some whites what it's like to be a compassionate and loving human being. Of course the black family is loving and caring about each other unlike the white father-son "bond" which a viewer can doubt if they are even relatives. Of course if you are white and see a poor innocent illegal immigrant in trouble you have to do all in your power to help them even at your own expense or your family or whatever you might sacrifice all along the black illegal immigrant condemning you as trash. Because, after all, you are the rot and they are just innocent illegal immigrants who came to shitty Europe for ... better life.

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Jean-Pierre Dardenne

Director

Luc Dardenne

Director

Jérémie Renier

Igor

Olivier Gourmet

Roger

Assita Ouedraogo

Assita

Sophie Leboutte

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Synopsis

Roger (Olivier Gourmet) uses his 15-year-old son, Igor (Jérémie Renier), to help traffic, house and ruthlessly exploit illegal immigrants in Belgium. When African immigrant Amidou (Rasmane Ouedraogo) tumbles from a scaffold, Igor finds him before he dies and promises that he will take care of his wife and baby. Forced by his father to cover up the death, Igor struggles to choose between loyalty to his unsavory parent and keeping the promise that he made to the dying man.

Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Producer: Hassen Daldoul, Luc Dardenne
Screenwriter: Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Claude Waringo
Distributor: New Yorker Films
Production Co: Eurimages
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $454.7K
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, 16mm, Flat (1.66:1)

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