It marries ferocious, unnerving violence and waves of profanity to powerful, psychologically acute
performances in a way that is
intensely dramatic as well as almost unbearable to...
Very much a kitchen - sink drama — the family kitchen is the
dramatic hub for much of the film — shot in a more or less documentary style and featuring terrific
performances by nonprofessionals, the film takes a no - frills
dramatic approach that could be roughly located on a Cassavetes - Dardennes spectrum, and uses it to
intensely revealing and moving effect.