The Kid with a Bike (Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne)

This film has all the components of an overly-sentimental heart-tugger: abandoned boy, single foster parent, a brush with the law, etc.  The Dardennes avoid the temptation and create instead a singular movie about the dangers of loving and trust, a movie that ultimately argues that the dangers not only test love's temper but they make the love all that much truer.  It was a difficult movie to watch because the difficulties were so palpably real.  I was equally a difficult movie to forget for the same reason.

Highly recommend.