Coming of age films set in middle-class environments can be illuminating, but throw into the mix a mother who became pregnant at 14, an unemployed resident uncle who is also a gambling addict, and a mysteriously handsome boyfriend, and you have the ingredients for an utterly convincing and riveting film which reveals more and more of the central character's situation as the film progresses. These revelations are drip fed at regular intervals, and lead to a dramatic closing scene. The small cast of actors is excellent, but perhaps it is the setting which gives this film such a hold on the audience. Basically, there are only two 'sets'. The first is the claustrophobic apartment, where a harassed mother attempts to maintain some sense of civilised living - like everyone sitting down at table for proper meals - but where pressures arise from the three residents living in too close proximity. The second is the bleak landscape of Antwerp's outer semi-industrial suburbs, where mysterious bits of machinery litter a bleak landscape of bare fields and anonymous tower blocks - a perfect setting for a young girl to live out adolescent fantasies. This is an excellent film - highly recommended.
