Cummings's essay is informed and far-reaching but also very accessible -- a quality I admire in the best film criticism. He deals with the influence of Murnau (particularly Sunrise) on the Dardennes and charts the theological foundation for their empathetic, humanistic cinema.
Why do we hate her inscrutability so much? Why do we want another, more cynical explanation except, perhaps, to feel better about ourselves? Why is it so much easier to be inspired by and cheer the one big gesture than the daily minute ones?
At various points in the year, I considered five different films for the top slot. Normally that might mean that there was no runaway film that I really fell in love with, but the opposite was true. The difficulty in picking just one was reflective of the different ways in which I adored each of these films.
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have been so consistent and so dependable for the last fifteen years, turning out high quality films every two to three years, that a new film from them doesn't seem to generate the buzz or excitement of a fresh, new talent.
The greatness of the brothers Dardenne is not really in dispute. It may be the case that years from now this particular film is deemed less great than some of their previous works. But I'm not convinced that the process of trying to find it has actually happened yet. We shall see.
