When you watch ‘Tori And Lokita,’ any faith that the Dardenne brothers and their heartrending grasp on grounded human tragedy might’ve lost in recent years floods back with the urgency of a breached dam. What Joely Mbundu and Pablo Schils bring to this traumatizing tale is almost a naive, impromptu authenticity that not only adds to the near-perfect screenplay but also makes ‘Tori And Lokita’ what it turns out to be—an experience that would be a challenge to shake off. Transcending the expectations of shared DNA, two African immigrants manifest a spiritual yet distressingly dire connection as they pose to be siblings in the apathetic cradle of a Belgian city. Here’s how their tragic existence plays out despite their best efforts:
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In ‘Tori And Lokita’ Film?
Lokita’s acute anxiety is palpable the second you lay eyes on her fumbling state...
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In ‘Tori And Lokita’ Film?
Lokita’s acute anxiety is palpable the second you lay eyes on her fumbling state...
- 7/22/2023
- by Lopamudra Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
Sideshow and Janus Films have dropped the clip for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s “Tori & Lokita” which had a strong opening in New York and Los Angeles on March 24 and is expanding this weekend to additional markets.
The latest film by the two-time Palme d’Or winners, “Tori & Lokita” tells the timely story of two immigrants struggling to survive on the margins of society. The humanist drama won the 75th Anniversary Prize at Cannes in 2022.
“’Tori Lokita’ is one of the most devastating cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time,” said Martin Scorsese in a statement sent to Variety. “I’ve always admired the way that Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne make movies—their mastery is inseparable from their spiritual and ethical commitment to their characters, trying to make their way through an unforgiving world,” Scorsese continued. He went on to describe the film as “one of the Dardennes’ most harrowing films,...
The latest film by the two-time Palme d’Or winners, “Tori & Lokita” tells the timely story of two immigrants struggling to survive on the margins of society. The humanist drama won the 75th Anniversary Prize at Cannes in 2022.
“’Tori Lokita’ is one of the most devastating cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time,” said Martin Scorsese in a statement sent to Variety. “I’ve always admired the way that Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne make movies—their mastery is inseparable from their spiritual and ethical commitment to their characters, trying to make their way through an unforgiving world,” Scorsese continued. He went on to describe the film as “one of the Dardennes’ most harrowing films,...
- 3/31/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
For decades, Belgian duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have been directing movies that get inside the challenges of their protagonists. Their trademark handheld camerawork and naturalistic dramas often have a strong sociopolitical perspective, from working-class problems to immigration struggles. Their acclaimed work has yielded countless prizes, including two Palme d’Ors and other awards from Cannes, where they regularly premiere their work.
At last year’s festival, they won a special 75th anniversary prize for “Tori and Lokita,” and it’s easy to see why: The Dardennes embody the kind of the consistency of auteur filmmakers embraced by the festival and cinephiles worldwide.
“Tori and Lokita” follows a pair of young African migrants (Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu) posing as siblings in Belgian while dealing with the older of the pair’s challenge getting residency papers. In the process, they wind up with criminals on their trail searching for money related to a drug deal.
At last year’s festival, they won a special 75th anniversary prize for “Tori and Lokita,” and it’s easy to see why: The Dardennes embody the kind of the consistency of auteur filmmakers embraced by the festival and cinephiles worldwide.
“Tori and Lokita” follows a pair of young African migrants (Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu) posing as siblings in Belgian while dealing with the older of the pair’s challenge getting residency papers. In the process, they wind up with criminals on their trail searching for money related to a drug deal.
- 3/24/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
To cinéastes fixated on tabulating statistics like sports fanatics, the Dardennes often come up as examples of unerring consistency, like a player with an impeccable xG rate in soccer: for their nine appearances in the official competition at Cannes, they’ve left with seven major awards, including two Palme d’Ors. And although it could be said they’re not currently in the finest fettle of their career, generations of filmmakers working in a realist vein still bear their influence: watch several films in a row at any big festival, especially from newer directors, and it’s ever-apparent this is Jean-Pierre and Luc’s world, and we’re only living in it.
Tori and Lokita, now beginning its US rollout, shows their dramatic and narrative gifts very much in evidence, maintaining their appeal to audiences otherwise unconcerned with the latest developments in world cinema. When I saw the film at Cannes myself,...
Tori and Lokita, now beginning its US rollout, shows their dramatic and narrative gifts very much in evidence, maintaining their appeal to audiences otherwise unconcerned with the latest developments in world cinema. When I saw the film at Cannes myself,...
- 3/23/2023
- by David Katz
- The Film Stage
Despite their stock seemingly falling in the decade since the widely acclaimed Two Days, One Night, a new film by the Dardennes will always have our curiosity; even better that our critic was a major fan at Cannes. Winner of the 75th Anniversary Prize at the festival, Tori and Lokita, set to arrive from Sideshow and Janus Films starting March 24, follows the story of two immigrants struggling to survive on the margins of society. Ahead of the release, the first U.S. trailer has now arrived.
As David Katz said in his review, “Tori and Lokita, the latest from the eerily consistent Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, pulls you in opposite directions when assessing it. It is as consummately made and passionately intended as anything they’ve done, but the filmmakers, as is apparent in less-successful films, can really undermine themselves with choices in plotting. I’ll never forget viewing my first,...
As David Katz said in his review, “Tori and Lokita, the latest from the eerily consistent Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, pulls you in opposite directions when assessing it. It is as consummately made and passionately intended as anything they’ve done, but the filmmakers, as is apparent in less-successful films, can really undermine themselves with choices in plotting. I’ll never forget viewing my first,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"This is best for us and for you." Sideshow & Janus Films have unveiled another new US trailer for the indie drama from Belgium titled Tori and Lokita, the latest film from acclaimed Belgian filmmaking brothers Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne (aka Dardenne Brothers). This premiered at last year's 2022 Cannes Film Festival to mixed & negative reviews, with only a few saying good things. Set in Belgium today, a young boy and an adolescent girl who have traveled alone from Africa pit their invincible friendship against the cruel conditions of their exile. They work for a drug dealer who also moonlights as an Italian chef, and things get bad when Lokita tries to earn more money working in the depths of a grow warehouse. The film stars Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu as Tori and Lokita, with Alban Ukaj, Tijmen Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. It's finally opening in the US this March,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have spent their 50-year filmmaking career crafting politically charged works of realism that never shy away from the systemic injustices in the world. Their unflinching brand of filmmaking has earned them two Palme d’Or awards amid countless other honors, but their latest film might be their angriest work yet.
“Tori and Lokita” saw the Dardennes take on the immigration systems of first-world countries and the needless bureaucracy that often leaves people’s lives hanging in the balance. Telling the story of two children who are determined not to be separated as they try to immigrate from two separate countries, it was an instant hit when it premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
Per the official synopsis, from two-time Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne comes the story of 17-year-old Lokita and 12-year-old Tori (in remarkable debut performances from Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu...
“Tori and Lokita” saw the Dardennes take on the immigration systems of first-world countries and the needless bureaucracy that often leaves people’s lives hanging in the balance. Telling the story of two children who are determined not to be separated as they try to immigrate from two separate countries, it was an instant hit when it premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
Per the official synopsis, from two-time Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne comes the story of 17-year-old Lokita and 12-year-old Tori (in remarkable debut performances from Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu...
- 3/6/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Often, when embarking on the recent Variety tradition that is this feature — designed to highlight some of the year’s best yet least-Oscar-likely performances — one particular turn will emerge as the poster child. A performance that, for many reasons, really ought to have a shot at Oscar but, being in a language other than English, has little chance. This year, that slot goes to Vicky Krieps who, in Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage,” does not so much play Empress Elisabeth of Austria (a role previously defined by Romy Schneider in the saccharine “Sissi” trilogy) as entirely reimagine and reclaim her.
Rather like with Mads Mikkelsen in Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round,” Krieps has the kind of stateside profile that will help “Corsage” stay in the conversation for the best international feature film Oscar shortlist. But the odds of her getting an individual best actress nod remain far slimmer — a shame, given...
Rather like with Mads Mikkelsen in Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round,” Krieps has the kind of stateside profile that will help “Corsage” stay in the conversation for the best international feature film Oscar shortlist. But the odds of her getting an individual best actress nod remain far slimmer — a shame, given...
- 12/16/2022
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Joely Mbundu and Pablo Schils are remarkable as two young west African migrants in Belgium, fighting for survival in the Dardenne brothers’ latest Cannes-feted release
Belgian film-makers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have long been darlings of the Cannes film festival, with prizes including Palme d’Or wins for Rosetta (1999) and The Child (2005), best screenplay for The Silence of Lorna (2008), a Grand Prix for The Kid With a Bike (2011) and best director honours for Young Ahmed (2019). As for their most recent feature, Tori and Lokita, which once again finds these masters of humanist film-making addressing the plight of young people, it took the special 75th anniversary prize when it premiered at Cannes in May. It’s an extraordinary run of accolades from what remains, for better or worse, the world’s most celebrated film festival – a reminder that over the course of three decades the Dardennes have quietly proved themselves remarkable documenters of the human condition.
Belgian film-makers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have long been darlings of the Cannes film festival, with prizes including Palme d’Or wins for Rosetta (1999) and The Child (2005), best screenplay for The Silence of Lorna (2008), a Grand Prix for The Kid With a Bike (2011) and best director honours for Young Ahmed (2019). As for their most recent feature, Tori and Lokita, which once again finds these masters of humanist film-making addressing the plight of young people, it took the special 75th anniversary prize when it premiered at Cannes in May. It’s an extraordinary run of accolades from what remains, for better or worse, the world’s most celebrated film festival – a reminder that over the course of three decades the Dardennes have quietly proved themselves remarkable documenters of the human condition.
- 12/4/2022
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
The Dardennes Brothers are old hands at taking a big theme and turning it into something pressing and intimate, from the job loss cauldron of Two Days, One Night to radicalisation in Young Ahmed.
This time around they come at the multiple threats faced by refugees through the experiences of two children. Teenager Lokita (Joely Mbundu) is trying to achieve the same refugee status in Belgium as her younger brother Tori (Pablo Schils), who was accused in his homeland of being a sorceror. The problem for Lokita is that the authorities don’t believe she is his sister. The Dardennes show how the legality of the bond is irrelevant to the kids themselves, who have spent their long journey from Africa looking out for one another. Siblings or not, these two have one another’s backs.
It’s just as well, since nobody else does. As the legal process cranks away,...
This time around they come at the multiple threats faced by refugees through the experiences of two children. Teenager Lokita (Joely Mbundu) is trying to achieve the same refugee status in Belgium as her younger brother Tori (Pablo Schils), who was accused in his homeland of being a sorceror. The problem for Lokita is that the authorities don’t believe she is his sister. The Dardennes show how the legality of the bond is irrelevant to the kids themselves, who have spent their long journey from Africa looking out for one another. Siblings or not, these two have one another’s backs.
It’s just as well, since nobody else does. As the legal process cranks away,...
- 12/2/2022
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
"Why won't they give me my papers, Tori?" Picturehouse in the UK has revealed an official trailer for an indie film from Belgium titled Tori and Lokita, the latest film from acclaimed Belgian filmmaking brothers Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne (aka the Dardenne Brothers). They're regulars at the Cannes Film Festival so of course this one premiered there earlier this year. It didn't get great reviews, it's a rather manipulative and obvious film pointing out how horrible African immigrants are treated by white Belgians. Set in Belgium today, a young boy and an adolescent girl who have traveled alone from Africa pit their invincible friendship against the cruel conditions of their exile. They work for a drug dealer who also moonlights as an Italian chef, and things get bad when Lokita tries to earn more money working in the depths of a grow warehouse. The film stars Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu...
- 10/25/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Picturehouse Entertainment has exclusively released the trailer for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s gripping drama ‘Tori and Lokita.’
A young boy (Tori) and an adolescent girl (Lokita) who have travelled alone from Africa to Belgium, pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
The film is a story of a beautiful and unfailing friendship amidst the struggle for survival. The young friends help each other navigate the Belgian immigration system and a criminal underworld, paying smugglers, finding jobs on the black market and sending money to their families. The plot is set within the framework of a thriller, the suspense pulling ever tighter and more intense.
Winner of the special 75th-anniversary prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the film stars first-time actors Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu in profoundly moving performances as two young migrants from Africa.
Also in trailers – Trailer drops for ‘All Quiet on the Western Front...
A young boy (Tori) and an adolescent girl (Lokita) who have travelled alone from Africa to Belgium, pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
The film is a story of a beautiful and unfailing friendship amidst the struggle for survival. The young friends help each other navigate the Belgian immigration system and a criminal underworld, paying smugglers, finding jobs on the black market and sending money to their families. The plot is set within the framework of a thriller, the suspense pulling ever tighter and more intense.
Winner of the special 75th-anniversary prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the film stars first-time actors Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu in profoundly moving performances as two young migrants from Africa.
Also in trailers – Trailer drops for ‘All Quiet on the Western Front...
- 10/25/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The festival runs July 21-31.
Alexandru Belc’s Metronom has picked up the award for best international film at the 39th edition of the Jerusalem Film Festival (Jff) this week.
The Romanian film was selected from 11 international titles, which included Park Chan-wook’s Decision To Leave and Mia Hansen-Løve’s One Fine Morning. It centres around a teenage couple spending their last few days together in 1972. Belc also won the best director award when the film played in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard selection earlier this year.
Berlinale managing director Mariette Rissenbeek, Hungarian filmmaker László Nemes and Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson comprised the jury.
Alexandru Belc’s Metronom has picked up the award for best international film at the 39th edition of the Jerusalem Film Festival (Jff) this week.
The Romanian film was selected from 11 international titles, which included Park Chan-wook’s Decision To Leave and Mia Hansen-Løve’s One Fine Morning. It centres around a teenage couple spending their last few days together in 1972. Belc also won the best director award when the film played in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard selection earlier this year.
Berlinale managing director Mariette Rissenbeek, Hungarian filmmaker László Nemes and Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson comprised the jury.
- 7/29/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
After staging a vastly scaled-down version in 2020, organizers of the Cannes Film Festival brought buzz back to the Croisette last year as the industry dipped its toes into the annual French gathering. As the 75th edition kicked off May 17, many in the business are all-in on the in-person experience and there are plenty of completed films for sale.
Mubi took an early lead in acquisitions, scooping up Léa Mysius’s sophomore film “The Five Devils” and Park Chan-wook’s mystery “Decision to Leave” in recent weeks. Other films arriving with distribution include Brett Morgen’s David Bowie doc “Moonage Daydream,” from Neon. A24 has five films premiering at Cannes, including Alex Garland’s “Men” and Claire Denis’ “The Stars at Noon.”
Still up for grabs are films like “Hunt,” the directorial debut of “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae, and Arnaud Desplechin’s “Brother and Sister.”
Below find a constantly updated...
Mubi took an early lead in acquisitions, scooping up Léa Mysius’s sophomore film “The Five Devils” and Park Chan-wook’s mystery “Decision to Leave” in recent weeks. Other films arriving with distribution include Brett Morgen’s David Bowie doc “Moonage Daydream,” from Neon. A24 has five films premiering at Cannes, including Alex Garland’s “Men” and Claire Denis’ “The Stars at Noon.”
Still up for grabs are films like “Hunt,” the directorial debut of “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae, and Arnaud Desplechin’s “Brother and Sister.”
Below find a constantly updated...
- 7/12/2022
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Tori and Lokita, the latest from the eerily consistent Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, pulls you in opposite directions when assessing it. It is as consummately made and passionately intended as anything they’ve done, but the filmmakers, as is apparent in less-successful films, can really undermine themselves with choices in plotting. I’ll never forget viewing my first, The Son, as a student in undergrad, both marveling and being almost perturbed at what a simple, elemental conflict—a man forgiving the murderer of his child—drove the entire film and generated all its tension. As in Lorna’s Silence and The Unknown Girl, this story can’t move without plot streaming out of every corner, contrivances piling upon contrivances, the way the tape could peel out of an old analog cassette or VHS.
Comparing the Dardennes to Ken Loach, one of their most profound influences, is significant too. Film critics can...
Comparing the Dardennes to Ken Loach, one of their most profound influences, is significant too. Film critics can...
- 6/2/2022
- by David Katz
- The Film Stage
Sideshow and Janus Films have picked up the North American distribution rights to “Tori and Lokita,” the refugee drama from two-time Palme D’Or winning directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
The film stars Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu as a young boy and adolescent girl who have traveled alone from Africa to Belgium and face a serious test of their friendship as they grapple with the difficult conditions of their exile. The film received a special award at Cannes in honor of the festival’s 75th anniversary.
“’Tori and Lokita’ is an immediate classic and shows these master filmmakers working at their highest level, focused with a newfound intensity on the issues plaguing our time,” Sideshow and Janus said in a statement. “The Dardenne brothers have had a profound influence on an entire generation of filmmakers, and we cannot wait to bring this film to the public, including both fans...
The film stars Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu as a young boy and adolescent girl who have traveled alone from Africa to Belgium and face a serious test of their friendship as they grapple with the difficult conditions of their exile. The film received a special award at Cannes in honor of the festival’s 75th anniversary.
“’Tori and Lokita’ is an immediate classic and shows these master filmmakers working at their highest level, focused with a newfound intensity on the issues plaguing our time,” Sideshow and Janus said in a statement. “The Dardenne brothers have had a profound influence on an entire generation of filmmakers, and we cannot wait to bring this film to the public, including both fans...
- 6/2/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired North American rights for “Tori and Lokita,” the latest film by two-time Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, which world premiered in competition at Cannes. The movie was one of the best reviewed films of the competition and earned the Dardenne brothers the festival’s special 75th Anniversary Prize.
A story of human perseverance, the film is set in contemporary Belgium and follows a young boy Tori (Pablo Schils) and an adolescent girl Lokita (Joely Mbundu) who have traveled alone from Africa and pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
“Tori and Lokita” stars Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. “Tori and Lokita” was produced by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson, and Denis Freyd.
Sideshow and Janus Films are planning to release the film theatrically across the country.
A story of human perseverance, the film is set in contemporary Belgium and follows a young boy Tori (Pablo Schils) and an adolescent girl Lokita (Joely Mbundu) who have traveled alone from Africa and pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
“Tori and Lokita” stars Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. “Tori and Lokita” was produced by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson, and Denis Freyd.
Sideshow and Janus Films are planning to release the film theatrically across the country.
- 6/2/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Nationwide theatrical release planned.
Sideshow and Janus Films have announced their second Cannes acquisition in two days, taking North American rights to Tori And Lokita by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
The Competition entry won the festival’s special 75th anniversary Prize and takes place in Belgium where young boy Tori and adolescent girl Lokita try to survive after making the long journey alone from Africa.
Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu star alongside Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. The Dardenne brothers produced with Delphine Tomson and Denis Freyd.
Sideshow and Janus Films plan a...
Sideshow and Janus Films have announced their second Cannes acquisition in two days, taking North American rights to Tori And Lokita by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
The Competition entry won the festival’s special 75th anniversary Prize and takes place in Belgium where young boy Tori and adolescent girl Lokita try to survive after making the long journey alone from Africa.
Pablo Schils and Joely Mbundu star alongside Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. The Dardenne brothers produced with Delphine Tomson and Denis Freyd.
Sideshow and Janus Films plan a...
- 6/2/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired North American rights for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Tori and Lokita which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and was lauded with the Festival’s Special 75th Anniversary Prize. A theatrical release from Sideshow and Janus is being planned.
Tori and Lokita stars Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. The film is produced by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson, and Denis Freyd.
In Belgium today, a young boy Tori (Pablo Schils) and an adolescent girl Lokita (Joely Mbundu) who have traveled alone from Africa pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
Sideshow and Janus Films said: “Tori and Lokita is an immediate classic and shows these master filmmakers working at their highest level, focused with a newfound intensity on the issues plaguing our time. The Dardenne...
Tori and Lokita stars Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijman Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadège Ouedraogo, and Marc Zinga. The film is produced by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Delphine Tomson, and Denis Freyd.
In Belgium today, a young boy Tori (Pablo Schils) and an adolescent girl Lokita (Joely Mbundu) who have traveled alone from Africa pit their invincible friendship against the difficult conditions of their exile.
Sideshow and Janus Films said: “Tori and Lokita is an immediate classic and shows these master filmmakers working at their highest level, focused with a newfound intensity on the issues plaguing our time. The Dardenne...
- 6/2/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
, a distinction that shouldn’t be taken lightly in the context of filmmakers who’ve spent the last three decades carving diamond-sharp moral dramas from the plights of Belgium’s most dispossessed people.
Like most of the duo’s work, “Tori and Lokita” leverages the irreducible nature of human dignity against the ever-worsening apathy of human civilization. Like much of their work — including the Palme d’Or winner “Rosetta” and the 2002 masterpiece, “The Son” — the film’s threadbare story hinges on effectively parentless children whose need for support leads them towards danger. And like the best of their work, which this sobering return to form represents from its curious first shot to its furious last beat, its premise pulls tighter until even the simplest actions are endowed with breathless intensity.
But it’s the anger that sets “Tori and Lokita” apart from the rest of the Dardennes’ films — the anger...
Like most of the duo’s work, “Tori and Lokita” leverages the irreducible nature of human dignity against the ever-worsening apathy of human civilization. Like much of their work — including the Palme d’Or winner “Rosetta” and the 2002 masterpiece, “The Son” — the film’s threadbare story hinges on effectively parentless children whose need for support leads them towards danger. And like the best of their work, which this sobering return to form represents from its curious first shot to its furious last beat, its premise pulls tighter until even the simplest actions are endowed with breathless intensity.
But it’s the anger that sets “Tori and Lokita” apart from the rest of the Dardennes’ films — the anger...
- 5/28/2022
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
“Tori and Lokita” opens on a tight close-up on the teenage Lokita (Joely Mbundu) as she struggles with the questions delivered by an immigration officer. She has fabricated a story about how she found her brother, Tori (Pablo Schils) in an orphanage, but no one believes her. As the line of questioning becomes more intense, more interrogative, Lokita’s muscles tense and her eyes grow sadder with despair, giving way to a panic attack — one of many that afflict her throughout the film.
Continue reading ‘Tori And Lokita’ Review: The Dardennes’ Trademark Sense Of Urgency & Empathy Missteps Into Exploitation [Cannes] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Tori And Lokita’ Review: The Dardennes’ Trademark Sense Of Urgency & Empathy Missteps Into Exploitation [Cannes] at The Playlist.
- 5/25/2022
- by Iana Murray
- The Playlist
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, the Belgian brothers who have directed a series of films notable for quiet naturalism, are a prime example of how at the Cannes Film Festival, familiarity breeds not contempt but contentment.
Year after year, Cannes puts the Dardennes’ films in the Main Competition; they’ve made nine features since “Rosetta” in 1999, and every one of them has vied for Cannes’ top honor, the Palme d’Or, with “Rosetta” and 2005’s “L’Enfant” winning and four others taking additional awards. The Dardennes now have a chance to make significant Cannes history by becoming the first directors to ever win the Palme for a third time.
If they win for “Tori and Lokita,” which premiered in Cannes on Tuesday, they’ll also set a new record for the longest time elapsed between Cannes wins, with the 17-year gap since “L’Enfant” breaking the record of 14 years between Shohei Imamura’s...
Year after year, Cannes puts the Dardennes’ films in the Main Competition; they’ve made nine features since “Rosetta” in 1999, and every one of them has vied for Cannes’ top honor, the Palme d’Or, with “Rosetta” and 2005’s “L’Enfant” winning and four others taking additional awards. The Dardennes now have a chance to make significant Cannes history by becoming the first directors to ever win the Palme for a third time.
If they win for “Tori and Lokita,” which premiered in Cannes on Tuesday, they’ll also set a new record for the longest time elapsed between Cannes wins, with the 17-year gap since “L’Enfant” breaking the record of 14 years between Shohei Imamura’s...
- 5/24/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
You can pretty much bet that whenever the Dardenne brothers show up with a new film in Cannes, it will walk away with some sort of prize. That has been the case since 1999 when their first competition film, Rosetta, swooped in at the last minute and won the Palme d’Or and Best Actress. They won a second Palme in 2005 for The Child, the Grand Jury Prize in 2011 for Kid with a Bike, Screenplay in 2008 for Lorna’s Silence and Director in 2019 for Young Ahmed. No matter what the jury, the Dardennes continue to impress, yet none of their films has brought them an Oscar nomination. Their 2011 pic Two Days, One Night did get a surprise Best Actress nomination for Marion Cotillard, but that has been it.
The Belgian brothers are a good bet to be in the Cannes winners circle again this year with Tori and Lokita, an irresistible and...
The Belgian brothers are a good bet to be in the Cannes winners circle again this year with Tori and Lokita, an irresistible and...
- 5/24/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
When it comes to churning out acidic commentary on the new aspirational money culture, the movies have not been shy. They’ve been up-front in showcasing, and satirizing, how the rich aren’t just getting richer but making themselves role models in the process. (It’s Kardashian Nation; we just live in it.) Ruben Östland’s Cannes sensation “Triangle of Sadness” may be the most spectacular movie statement yet about the decadence of the 21st-century playpen elite. Yet that’s the fun, sexy part of our society’s increasingly from-the-top-down distribution equation. The tragic, essential part is where the concentration of wealth leaves just about everyone else: strapped, quietly desperate, trying to claw their way through a system that feels, more and more, like it wasn’t built for them.
“Tori and Lokita,” the new movie written and directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, is just as spectacular a statement as “Triangle of Sadness.
“Tori and Lokita,” the new movie written and directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, is just as spectacular a statement as “Triangle of Sadness.
- 5/24/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
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