1. miki00

   10

   Just beautiful! Marion Cotillard really excels in expressing feelings with the less word possible. Audiard mixes love, sex and brutality like it's actually a natural thing. This drama is so down to earth and well acted that you accept every aspect of Ali & Staphanie's tough personality, even if they are not very lovable. They don't try to make you love them, they just tell a story with it's simplicity and all of it's complexity at the same time. Another Audiard and Cotillard home run.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 3 users said Yes.
2. ekw

   8

   Marion Cotillard is even better than I already thought she was. In this understated part she does everything with practically her face alone. Her fleeting expressions, a slight turn of her head or a raising of her chin, or just a deadpan look is virtually as good as any written dialogue. Don't worry, there is dialogue and she does speak words, but in this somewhat purposefully low-brow and low-ball film our expectations are often dashed. There are likelihoods in life as in movies and unlikelihoods, and when an unlikely character forms an unlikely union with another character who is very unlikely to join in this union, we feel certain that it cannot last and that it could end badly. But the way these actors work, the way the director has chosen to shoot and edit it, the way he has given his actors certain freedoms that can really only be given to actors who are superior in their skills, there are no certainties until there are. If these professional criteria are met it is possible to make a film that cuts across the grain of human expectations. A brainy girl who likes a brawny almost-seeming illiterate guy, where can that possibly go? And who does the changing here, or does anyone really change? That's a question that is answered with a minimum of mawkishness and sentimentality. In fact, this movie is more direct and less mumblecore than many other films with a similar theme. I gave it an 8. Four stars on Netflix. I really enjoyed it. I think it is one of those rare movies that doesn't make you feel cheated in some way after it's over. See it.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. PersonaNoir

   7

   Jacques Audiard's newest film is a beautifully subtle character study, carried by the wonderful and realistic performances of Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. The film tells the story of an emotionally distant and tormented man who meets a woman who's had an accident and has lost both her legs. The entire film is a slow-paced and detailed study of both characters, who grow closer and eventually overcome the problems of their lives and move on. Despite its bleakness, 'Rust and Bone' is an optimistic film. Audiard creates an anti-romantic tale. The circumstances and the relationship between Ali and Stephanie are unconventional, fresh and deeply intriguing. The film's cinematography is fluid and kinetic, creating an awe-inspiring canvas of feelings and moods. Despite the rawness and the subtlety of the film and its lead performances, though, the film is flawed. The film's third act is contrived and manipulative, which was a surprising disappointment for me, because the first two acts were low-key and realistic. Also, the screenplay is kind of fragmented, never fully focusing on each of the two characters, never really deepening into their psyche. There are also subplots which feel unnecessary and strangely dull. There are flaws here, but the result is quite rewarding. Led by two wonderful performances, this is a poignant, humane and unsentimental film that is worthy of the attention of cinephiles and fans of European cinema.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
4. montecfo

   3

   The premise of the film was certainly ambitious. Not sure I can remember a movie attempting to cover so much ground. Perhaps that was the problem, as little effort was made to develop the characters or, perhaps they were just all rather depressing, pitiful and flat. The story is somewhat dark, gritty and largely unredeeming. Save your money.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.

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