The French Film THE BOY WITH THE BICYCLE

This is the type of film critics love and most of the movie going public (out of France) love to hate.  Not being French, I'm in the general public camp with this movie, I hated it.  Well, maybe hate is too strong a word, I vehemently disliked it.  What is there to like about a boy whose father abandons him and when the son finally finds him, his father tells him to get lost.  This is not to say there weren't adults who did genuinely care for the boy.  The counselors at the home he's sent to were kind.  The man who was assaulted along with his son with a bat by the young boy, chose not to be vindictive.  And, most surprisingly, a woman who was inadverdantly knocked down by him becomes his most ardent and loving support.  Why?  I have no idea, it made no sense what she was willing to sacrifice for him and put up with.  The rest of the film deals with violence and cruelty.  I have no idea why the French worship Jerry Lewis.  I have no idea why this movie is receiving accolades from critics.  I found the movie without anything redeeming in it to recommend; skip it.