It’s one of the great ironies of cinema that many — not all, but many — of the most seemingly arthouse filmmakers make some of the most approachable films.
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are imposing names in cinema. The Belgian brothers have twice won the Palme d’Or. But you would be hard pressed to find many filmmakers who have beaten a more humanistic path, trailing working-class protagonists with handheld cameras and deep wells of empathy. They’ve stuck resolutely near home, shooting in and around their native Seraing, often with unprofessional actors. Yet they’ve found global acclaim for their humble, neorealistic masterworks.
It’s been nearly a decade, though, since the Dardennes made a real impression. But in “Tori and Lokita,” a heart-wrenching immigrant drama that opens in theaters Friday, they make a thrilling return to form.
It’s about 11-year-old Tori (Pablo Schils) and 16-year-old Lokita (Joely Mbundu), two African immigrants living in an
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