A man who teaches carpentry at a reformatory accepts a recently released boy into his program, and immediately begins to follow him. Details about the man and the boy are gradually revealed as the story progresses. The Son (Le fils) is a 2002 Belgium film from Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Filmed without background music, The Son relies a lot on sound to generate tension and while watching it, I was reminded of No Country For Old Men. Although they are two entirely different films, both effectively employ the same techniques to generate intense results. Aside from its technical craft regarding sound, The Son is also a profound film with a different take on the notion of revenge.
***1/2
